Trick or Treat?
by SplendentGoddess
Summary: It's Halloween! With everything that has been happening lately, Kagome deserves at least one night off to just be herself, and Inuyasha deserves at least one night in which he can blend in. At least there are no youkai in Kagome's time, right?
1. Just One Night

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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><p>Original post date: 1026/09

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A/N:

This story is Canon and takes place between manga chapters 494 and 496. If you follow the Canon to the letter, then chapter 494 is actually the first time in which Kagome returns home after the death of Kikyou, despite what I did in my 'Eclipse' song-fic, which took place prior to chapter 475. After chapter 494, 'The Two Worlds', the story veers off to follow yet another 'new development', as Takahashi was so fond of throwing together back then. But the 'new development' of chapter 495, 'Further Thought', doesn't involve the inu-tachi, nor does it give any indication as to exactly how much time has passed between then and the preceding chapter. It's a Sesshoumaru chapter, a sort of 'meanwhile…' if you will, involving the daiyoukai going off to confront Totosai about Tenseiga. This leaves Kohaku (with Rin and Jaken) vulnerable to attack by Naraku, who shows up in person to capture Kohaku's jewel shard while Sesshoumaru is away. The battle between Naraku and Kohaku continues on into chapter 496, 'Trick', in which Takahashi reveals what she'd had Kikyou do in her final moments, regarding the speck of light that is her own power that she'd placed within the Sacred jewel to foil Naraku, purifying the jewel at the touch of Kohaku's shard. Suddenly, cut to Inuyasha and the others who are rapidly closing in on the scene, Inuyasha declaring that he smells Naraku's scent.

So where did _they _come from? Last we saw them, Souta was barging in on what would've been Inuyasha and Kagome's first kiss. We know that they didn't return to the past right away, because Kagome had already told Inuyasha during their conversation in chapter 494 that she had to go to school the following morning, and when she'd first left Kaede's village, she had in fact told the others that she would be gone for around three days. Because of the layout of these chapters, there is plenty of room for creative license for what might have happened in between when Kagome finally did return to the past, and when Naraku suddenly showed up trying to take Kohaku's jewel shard, so this story takes place during that gap of time.

Okay, now that _that's _settled…on with the show!

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Chapter 1 – Just One Night

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Fiddling with the top button of her pajama top, Kagome released a tired breath before crossing her arms in front of her chest and shoving her hands in her armpits. It was a bit on the brisk side that evening, so forgoing her school uniform for the night, which seemed to be her staple outfit as of late, the future-born miko had decided she would feel much more comfortable if her legs were covered in flannel. It was a good thing she'd gotten into the habit of always packing away a set of pajamas in her backpack, even though she'd hardly ever used them during the summer. In fact, she hadn't been expecting to really need them until winter time came around, but the late October chill was worse than expected, even considering they were currently up in the local foothills. Fortunately, after spending so many months traveling back and forth to the Sengoku jidai, the future-born miko had learned to expect the unexpected…to a point, at least. It would be nice if her pajamas were a tad thicker.

_Where's global warming when you need it? _she thought sarcastically, desperately trying not to think about how chilly it was becoming while Inuyasha worked on building up their campfire.

_I remember some pretty nippy Halloweens growing up, but this is ridiculous!_

Of course, her childhood Halloweens were really probably nowhere near as cold as they had felt at the time. It was much easier to feel inordinately cold in even slightly cooler temperatures when one was dressed in nothing but spandex and nylon. The makers of most Halloween costumes certainly didn't take the autumn season into consideration when manufacturing their designs, did they?

Thinking of the upcoming holiday provided a welcome distraction for the silently shivering miko, as she began contemplating just how to go about breeching the subject of going home again. After all, it had only been four days since they'd first returned to Kaede's village after their last cross-country trek, and she had already spent three of those four days over in the future, having just returned to the Sengoku jidai with Inuyasha that very morning. Thinking about everything that had happened while they'd been out on the road made Kagome's head spin and her heart ache. So much had changed…

_I will not start thinking sad thoughts…_the miko told herself with conviction. _I made a promise to Kikyou, and she would want me to stay focused on the 'here and now'_.

Of course, that was the problem right there, wasn't it? How could she justify taking a break from their pursuit of Naraku, even for just one night, for something as trivial as Halloween? Just because she had been the one to take Souta Trick-or-Treating for the last two years in a row – once her mother had deemed that _she _had been old enough to go without adult supervision – didn't mean that Souta would miss out on Trick-or-Treating all together if she wasn't there. He would just have to get over the fact that their mother would be taking him this year, if she couldn't make it back to do it herself. The fact of the matter was that Kagome had forgotten all about the rapidly approaching holiday when she'd first returned home, wanting only a few days to attempt to catch up on her schoolwork. It had come as a complete shock to the miko to realize just how soon Halloween would actually be upon them.

_I should have just told Mama I couldn't do it, instead of telling her I'd try_… the fifteen-year-old realized belatedly.

Suddenly noticing that she had stopped shivering, Kagome looked up only to realize after the fact that she had apparently been staring at her feet for the last twenty minutes. Now directly in her line of vision was a nice hot, roaring fire that was guaranteed to last them well into the night. Glancing around their campsite, Kagome couldn't help but to notice how Sango and Miroku were sitting much closer together than usual, the houshi's arm wrapped tightly around the slayer's shoulder as Sango leaned into his taller frame, the couple talking quietly. So much had happened to them in recent weeks, too.

They were promised to wed after the defeat of Naraku, provided they both made it through the final battle alive and well. While neither of them were in a great hurry to die, they were both equally committed to sacrificing their own lives to save the other, if it ever truly came down to that, though they were also both as equally committed to preventing the other person from doing such a thing on their own behalf. It was always so much easier to die for somebody than it was to live for them, and together, with each other's support, Miroku and Sango were _living_ for each other, now that they each had something in their lives worth living _for_.

Sighing quietly, Kagome glanced upward into the thick branches of the tree overhead, catching a glimpse of the person responsible for her newfound feelings of warmth as she sat by their fire. Inuyasha was gazing off into space, as he had been doing a lot lately, but at least his eyes no longer held the haunted look of torment that had rested just below the surface after Kikyou's passing. If she had to put her finger on it, Kagome would definitely say that it was right after their near death experience with Kaou that his disposition had started to return back to normal. Since then, he'd had to fight a giant monster made out of mirrors that had stolen and reflected all of Tetsusaiga's attacks, had to charge into battle in his human form when that bone-eating bitch had nearly killed Sango and Miroku, been forced to sit back and watch helplessly while Sango literally battled her own demons inside Yakurou Doukusen's jar of poison-medicine – and Kagome didn't even know about the extra strain Miroku had placed on him back then by asking him to keep his own actions a secret – then there was all that bullshit with Sesshoumaru and whether or not Tenseiga was truly their father's memento… the miko sighed again. It was truly a wonder that Inuyasha was as well kept together as he was, all things considered. She knew he was terribly worried for her own life, on top of everything else, but she'd made a promise to Kikyou to finish what her predecessor had started, and even if she hadn't, she had already vowed long ago to stay by Inuyasha's side, no matter what.

Feeling her eyes upon him, the hanyou wanted to glance down Kagome's way, but he knew the girl would be embarrassed if he caught her openly staring at him like she was, and so instead he pretended not to notice, allowing the miko her moment of contemplation in peace. She had been through so much in recent weeks, and then on top of all the unbelievable craziness that seemed to be hitting their group non-stop lately, Kagome also had a completely separate life that existed on the other side of the well.

A life she had been virtually ignoring as of late, and he didn't know how he truly felt about that.

On the one hand, Inuyasha was happy to have her with him. Under any other circumstances, he would be silently rejoicing to have her choose to spend so much time with him in his world instead of staying in her own. But as things were, he was terrified…and he was also feeling a bit guilty. If all of the nasty business with Naraku and the jewel were already over, then he wouldn't have to worry for her safety during every waking minute of their lives, for one thing, and he would also more easily believe she that was choosing to forgo her world in favor of his own of her own accord. If she were staying with him solely of her own free will, then he wouldn't feel responsible for taking her away from her old life, but as it was, even though she had made it very clear that her _decision _was to remain in the past with him and see their mission through to the end, that was just it…it was because of their _mission_. Not that he believed for even half a second that she wouldn't want to be with him otherwise, he knew how she felt about him, but Inuyasha just didn't like the idea of Kagome being forced to spend so much time in his world for reasons other than her own. He hated that Kagome was constantly being forced to fight, constantly being forced to risk her own life for the 'greater good'. What if something happened to her? Of course he would die to protect her, but then there was also the very real fact that were he actually to do such a thing, then she would immediately no longer have his protection after the fact, and he would die terrified that his sacrifice hadn't been enough, if their enemy still remained undefeated in that moment.

Not that he was the only one worrying about everything. He knew Kagome was worrying about everything, too, and not just about their mission in his time. Oh yes, the uncertainty of the outcome of it all was most definitely in the forefront of the miko's worries, but on top of all that, on top of worrying about how many more people could die if they didn't find and stop Naraku as soon as possible, on top of worrying about her friends and if any of _them _wouldn't make it past the battle to see Naraku-free days ahead, thanks to her double-life in both timelines, the future-born-miko _also_ had to worry about passing her stupid entrance exams for high school. Inuyasha didn't really understand all of that, but he did understand that it had to do with honor, and whether or not her world viewed her as a failure to her family.

_If she fails her family, it'll be all my fault_… the hanyou thought forlornly, conveniently ignoring the skewed logic behind such thinking.

That was why Inuyasha was seriously considering allowing Kagome to return home again for the upcoming holiday he had overheard her discussing with her mother. He'd only caught part of the women's conversation, but Mrs. Higurashi had asked her daughter if she would be back home again in time to take Souta on an upcoming night for something called Trick-or-Treating – whatever _that _was. Kagome's response had made his heart pang in his chest, having heard in her voice how she'd clearly not wanted to disappoint her mother, but also hadn't wanted to lie to her, either. He knew the miko well enough by that point to recognize when she was stalling, when she was angling to avoid committing to something she knew she couldn't do but just didn't have the heart to flat out tell the person 'no'. After a brief hesitation, the miko had responded to her mother that she didn't know for sure but she would most certainly try.

_Liar…_he thought with a snort, looking back on their conversation with the realization that Kagome had known, even then, that there was no way she'd be home again so soon.

Of course, Mrs. Higurashi's reaction had only been to try to convince her daughter further, reminding Kagome of how much Souta was looking forward to it, and how it would crush the boy if she were to disappoint him so badly. Inuyasha had barely suppressed his urge to growl long enough to disappear out behind the modern shrine, heading into what remained of the forest, angry at Kagome's mother for her attempts at guilt tripping her daughter, yet knowing he had no right to truly be angry with the woman who had no idea what kind of bullshit her daughter had been forced to deal with lately. Mrs. Higurashi's ignorance regarding the true severity of Kagome's mission in the past was by design, because neither Kagome nor Inuyasha felt comfortable sharing with the older woman just how many times her daughter had nearly died, or how many times she had been forced to witness, or partake in, the death of others. Still, the end result of keeping her mother in the dark meant that the woman had no idea why Kagome couldn't rightfully take the needed time off to fulfill her previous obligations in the 21st century.

_Fuck it, I'll just take Kagome back through the well again, problem solved_.

It wasn't like they were truly all that far away from Kaede's village yet, anyway. Upon returning with Kagome to the past that morning, the elderly miko had informed them of a slowly spreading sickness in the neighboring village that rested on the other side of the foothills they were currently ascending; nothing that couldn't be cured, even by that day's standards, with the right medicine. Kaede had asked if they wouldn't mind delivering the medicine she had mixed up on their way back out on the road again, and all things considered, even Inuyasha had agreed without protest. They would reach that village by midmorning tomorrow, and if they turned right around after making their delivery, then he could have Kagome back home again by the following morning. Plenty of time to get ready for…whatever it was…that was coming up in four days.

Glancing down at where the miko sat below him, confirming his earlier beliefs of what would happen as Kagome immediately looked away with a light dusting of pink on her cheeks, Inuyasha allowed himself a tiny smile…now that she wasn't looking to see it. Scanning across their chosen campsite for the night, he took note of how Sango and Miroku were no longer speaking, but merely holding each other in silence. He had tried not to listen in on their conversation, distracting himself as much as he could with his own thoughts, but he would do right by the houshi by not teasing him over what he _had _heard. It was about time those two opened up enough to tell each other the 'L' word, considering their love for each was about as obvious to any outside observer as the ears on his head. He didn't care what was or wasn't done from a social point of view; if you loved somebody, then you should _tell _them.

That thought brought the hanyou's eyes back to where Kagome was settling herself into her sleeping bag, Shippou and Kirara curled up together down by her feet.

_Keh, I'll tell her the good news in the morning_…

He didn't think he could bring himself to say the 'L' word just yet, but he would do his very best to make sure that Kagome knew how he felt, regardless. Of course, he had very nearly _shown _Kagome how he felt before her little brother had walked in on them, but maybe if he helped his miko do this one favor for the squirt, then he'd get a second chance at that kiss.

Startling himself with where his thoughts had suddenly taken him, it was with a light dusting of pink on his own cheeks that the hanyou finally decided to get some sleep, as the monk and slayer also both settled themselves into their respective sleeping rolls for the night, which were presently placed much closer together than they ever used to be.

...o...o...

Delivery of Kaede's medicine went smoothly, the headman of the neighboring village having become familiar through talk with the elderly miko of the hanyou that had been released from the Goshinboku, and who no longer desired the jewel for his own evil gain, but instead, was merely working alongside Kagome to restore the jewel and rescue it from Naraku's clutches. It was becoming less and less unusual for Inuyasha to experience mild feelings of welcome in human villages as he and his group continued to travel the countryside, word spreading of their good deeds and heroic acts. It was a far cry from the life he had lived prior to being pinned to the Goshinboku, and Inuyasha knew he owed it all to the strangely dressed miko from the future. It was only fair that he pay the girl back in some small way every now and then.

"Oi, Kagome…come're for a second." Inuyasha said as casually as he could muster, while Miroku gave the village headman Kaede's instructions for administering the medicine.

Sharing a quick look with Sango that communicated she'd be right back, Kagome turned to follow the fire-rat clad hanyou who had already turned and headed off behind a row of houses after making his request.

"Yes, Inuyasha? What is it?"

Not sure how to go about saying this right, he decided to just plow on through.

"I heard you talking with your mother yesterday morning about some holiday coming up in your time." he started, mentally cringing at the way Kagome flinched at the word 'holiday', immediately averting her eyes. Did she think he was about to scold her on why wasting her time with such things would be stupid and pointless?

Sighing, Inuyasha made sure to keep his voice completely void of his usual gruffness, which he knew could often times come off more hostilely than he'd intended. Nervously rubbing at the back of his head, he didn't wait for Kagome to meet his eyes before continuing with his speech.

"If you…that is…it sounded like you really needed to go do that thing…whatever it is, so…you know, if you wanted to go ahead and go do that thing, for your brother, a few more days' delay probably wouldn't hurt."

Instantly, Kagome snapped her eyes up to meet Inuyasha's with a look of wonder, mixed with what he thought he could identify as concern and uncertainty. The miko confirmed his assumptions when she took that moment to respond.

"Do you _really _think that'd be okay, though? I mean, I want to go, but then part of me feels guilty over wanting to do something so silly. Then on the other hand, I start arguing with myself over not wasting the opportunity to do something with my brother, you know? Like, what if this is our last Halloween together? Then I think-"

"Stop right there." the hanyou interrupted. "I won't let anything happen to you. If you want to go do this thing, then I'll take you back to your time, but don't you _dare_ start thinking this might be your last Halloween, you should know me better than that."

Closing the gap between them, which hadn't been very large to begin with, Inuyasha surprised the miko by fiercely taking her hand in his own, just like how he had held her hand in her room four nights prior.

_Oh, Inuyasha…_

Lost in the moment, Kagome found herself captivated by the determined look in her companion's golden-amber gaze, as she heard him proclaim yet again that he would protect her life with his own. Her eyes were just starting to drift closed, as she felt herself leaning slightly forward, when Shippou's voice sliced through the air, asking with innocent curiosity, "What's Halloween?"

...o...o...

Eyebrow twitching in frustrated annoyance, Inuyasha was nonetheless paying avid attention from his spot in front of the others as they headed back down the hill towards Kaede's village, listening to every word Kagome said as the future-born miko continued to explain the many intricate layers that existed to the bizarre holiday he was taking her back home to celebrate.

Inuyasha should have known better than to think that his good deed could have possibly gone unpunished, as Miroku had immediately begun razzing him over the discovery that he was taking Kagome back home out of the kindness of his heart, simply so that she wouldn't miss being there for her little brother during some kind of a festival. Inuyasha had attempted to get the houshi back at his own game when instead of rising to the bait, because he knew Miroku's goal was to get him all flustered and in denial of his action having had any deeper '_meaning'_, he had instead shrugged off the monk's words, a non-argumentative "What of it?" being his only verbal response to the houshi's teasing that he was doing something nice for Kagome. Miroku had sobered up for a moment after that, and then with a more genuine smile he had answered back with a confident "Yes, indeed. It is merely good to see that you are no longer in denial of your feelings." and with that, everyone had felt Miroku mentally applying another line under his own name as Inuyasha's cheeks had burned bright red before the hanyou'd silently stomped forward to walk ahead of the others.

Kagome might've wanted to come to Inuyasha's defense, embarrassed by Miroku's words herself, but Shippou's constant string of questions as one answer only led to more questions was keeping the miko thoroughly preoccupied. Even Sango chimed in asking her own questions from time to time, as the future-born miko happily gave her friends a thorough rundown of the October holiday and all of its various traditions.

Shippou was especially interested in hearing about Trick-or-Treat, which was the solitary reason for Kagome's return home in the first place.

"I wish I could go with you!" the kit whined, both thrilled to learn of the existence of a holiday in which children dressed up as monsters and went to all of the neighboring houses in their village to receive free candy, and devastated to know that he would not be able to participate in the celebration himself. It was thoroughly unfair that the Bone Eater's Well denied him entry into Kagome's world. Even the miko's promise that she would bring him back some Halloween candy of his very own only half appeased the boy.

"Tell you what," Kagome started then. "I don't already have an outfit picked out for myself, so what if I went dressed up as a kitsune, in your honor?" she asked the fox-child.

His eyes got huge at that, lit up with some kind of emotion the miko couldn't quite identify.

"You…you would do that, for me?" Shippou asked in a quiet, timid voice.

"Of course." she answered with a smile.

"I love you, Kagome!" the kit bellowed as he launched himself into her waiting arms, the miko laughing happily all the while.

"I love you too, Shippou." she answered the boy, patting his head affectionately after settling him into her arms.

One of Inuyasha's ears turned backwards at the exchange, but he didn't otherwise acknowledge their dialog. He didn't have to.

Jogging to catch up to the grumpy hanyou, whom Kagome happened to know for a fact had been listening to her the entire time, she greeted Inuyasha with a smile once she got herself into position right next to him, matching his stride.

"You know…I was thinking…" she started slowly.

"Uh-oh, everyone run for cover." he teased good-naturedly, wanting to let Kagome know that his sour mood really had nothing to do with her directly. The miko responded to his teasing by sticking out her tongue, earning herself a mild chuckle from the inu-hanyou before she continued.

"Well, you know that Souta absolutely idolizes you, so he definitely wouldn't complain if you…ya know…wanted to come along with us."

Inuyasha gave her a sideways glance but kept on walking, diligently ignoring the sensation of Miroku and Sango's eyes boring into the back of his head as they awaited his response.

_Nosy bastards_…

"You think so?"

Delighted that he was willing to discuss this possibility with her, Kagome plowed forward, making sure to speak in 'Souta' code, considering their conversation wasn't exactly private.

"Yeah, in fact, I'm pretty sure Souta would really like it if you came along with us. He'd probably be thrilled."

_Say yes, you baka_… thought the kitsune temporarily forgotten in her arms, as even little Shippou was sharp enough to catch onto the fact that Kagome never would've asked such a thing in the first place unless _she _were the one who truly wanted him to go. Just because Shippou was bummed out that he couldn't go, himself, didn't mean he begrudged Inuyasha's ability to travel through the well. If Kagome wanted the hanyou with her, then Shippou wanted Inuyasha to go, for Kagome's sake if nothing else.

"And everyone on the streets is dressed up in some kinda costume?" Inuyasha asked next, and it was clear to everyone from his question, plus his tone of voice, that he'd already made up his mind.

Beaming, Kagome nodded before answering, "Maybe not _everyone_, but almost, so you definitely wouldn't have to worry about wearing a hat." She knew how they irritated his ears.

Said ears gave a wiggle at the prospect of roaming freely in Kagome's time without the need for some sort of concealing garment.

"I suppose, if the squirt really wants me there, then I shouldn't disappoint him."

...o...o...

Sitting on his favorite branch of the Goshinboku, Inuyasha gauged the position of the sun, figuring he would give the wench about another twenty minutes, tops, before making his appearance. Kagome had instructed him very specifically to make sure that he was in her time before sunset, but to also not show up _too _early because she wanted to have time to finish constructing her costume in private.

_Feh, I already know she's going to be dressed like a kitsune, so why all the secrecy? _

Honestly, he still didn't understand what all the hubbub was about, but looking back on why he'd originally made his decision to bring her back home for the holiday in the first place, the inu-hanyou knew that he didn't really _need _to understand. It was a holiday, plain and simple, and Inuyasha _did_ understand the importance of celebrating a holiday with one's family.

He was happy to do this for Kagome, to allow her to take her brother out as per their family's tradition, and also to tag along with them, since they both wanted him to go so badly. Kagome hadn't been kidding about Souta being thrilled at the idea of having him accompany them on their trek through the neighborhood, but Inuyasha wasn't stupid, and he knew perfectly well that the wench had actually been referring to her own feelings while pleading her case on Souta's behalf. Not that he minded all that much. Aside from all the pollution, and noise, and flashing lights, and fast-moving metal carts, and people staring at him strangely, Inuyasha actually found Kagome's world rather fascinating, and at least this time around he could eliminate the people staring at him strangely part. Instead, they would supposedly be staring at him in amazement, or at least that's what Souta had claimed would probably be most people's reactions, considering how 'real' his costume looked.

_Feh…_

But the hanyou was definitely curious to see this 'Halloween' thing for himself, especially after all the hype Kagome had given it, and the fact that she actually wanted to share it with him, well…he wouldn't have had it in him to turn her down, even if he hadn't been interested in the slightest. Gauging the position of the sun once more, Inuyasha made sure not to lose track of time. He would jump through the well before much longer, and then just wait out the rest of the evening on the five-century-older version of his favorite branch over on her side, where he would at least be within earshot for when Kagome was ready for him to see her 'creation'. Honestly, how hard was it to tie on a fox mask? What was she doing, giving herself paws like the runt?

_Heh, now that would actually be worth seeing_…

...

In that same exact moment five hundred years into the future, the 21_Holy fucking shit! _

The woman standing before him was not his sweet, innocent Kagome. Dressed like a server in a noblemen's teahouse, he relented that her kimono certainly covered much more skin than her indecently short school skirt, and yet…

_Wow…_

Then she giggled. She _giggled_, with her hand hiding her teeth, and her voice pitched a full octave higher than normal.

"What do you think?" she asked him then, gesturing to her person as she comically struck a pose.

Bound and determined to maintain at least some level of dignity, Inuyasha had no intention of telling the woman before him what he _really _thought of her outfit. Instead, he smirked in what he hoped was a close enough proximity to his usual cocky grin, before pointing out…

"I thought you told the runt you were gonna dress like a kitsune?" He feigned a disappointed tone before admonishing, "I never knew you to be one to lie to a child, Kagome."

Waving off his would-be scolding, Kagome answered matter-of-factly, "I _am _a kitsune. Kitsune can turn themselves into anything they want, after all, and it's common knowledge that one of the things they enjoy turning themselves into the most is beautiful young women."

Inuyasha nearly rose to the bait of her 'beautiful young women' remark, but seeing what a vixen she had truly become, he just didn't have the heart to insult her, even though he was pretty sure she knew by that point that he had never really meant any of the hurtful things he used to tell her, anyway. Still, that didn't mean he wouldn't rip on her for the copout.

"That's kinda convenient, don't cha think?"

Crossing his arms, Inuyasha dared Kagome with his eyes to challenge his logic.

Secretly, Kagome was beaming inside, thoroughly complemented by his words. It hadn't really been her intention to test him, what she'd said had just come right out, but she couldn't be happier with his responce. Even if he had tried to deny that she was beautiful, she wouldn't have taken the insult to heart, though. His eyes when he'd first entered her room had given away his thoughts in _that _regard. Still, the fact that he hadn't even _bothered_ to deny it... She was quite sure she could live off the 'happy' from that one for the rest of the night, no matter how deeply he might swallow his foot sometime later on. Keeping that thought in mind, she decided to show him just how _kitsune _-likeshe really was.

Awaiting Kagome's responce, Inuyasha was wondering what she was going to say to talk herself out of her slipup, when she surprised him for the second time in as many minutes by merely giggling again, before swiftly turning around and wiggling her backside at him. There, sticking precariously out of the fabric of her kimono resting just above her rump was a long, bushy, auburn foxtail. Well, it wasn't a _real_ foxtail, or he would've noticed the scent immediately upon entering her room, and he would never believe that Kagome could actually have it in her to wear real fox fur, all things considered. But for a human observer, who couldn't detect the plastic-y scent of the artificial fur, it looked _very _realistic. It took the girl turning back around for his eyes to snap back into focus, and sluggishly raising his eyes back up to meet Kagome's gaze head-on, Inuyasha realized with a growing feeling of embarrassment that she'd just caught him staring at her ass. But…but she'd wanted him to look! Right?

Apparently he was the only one who noticed the potential inappropriateness of the situation, as the miko jumped right back into her explanation in that moment, adding how it was also common knowledge that one of the main problems some kitsune could have with their illusions was maintaining the invisibility of their tails. He had to hand it to her, Kagome was right about that one. With that tail sticking out of the back of her robe, she _was _dressed like a kitsune, but why did she have to mimic a kitsune that had turned itself into such a temptress?

Following said temptress downstairs and into the family room, Inuyasha politely put up with Mrs. Higurashi gushing over how cute the two of them looked together, even though he hadn't done a damn thing differently from how he usually looked. Still, he supposed he could see the older woman's point of view, since Kagome could now very easily pass for somebody from his own time. But she made it sound as if they were a couple, and that was a fantasy the hanyou knew he couldn't afford to get himself lost in while Naraku still roamed freely.

After snapping off several pictures, Mrs. Higurashi called Souta down from where he'd been passing the time playing video games up in his room, knowing that his sister's costume was going to take _forever_. True, it had taken a while to get her hair done right, but considering she'd only had two days to think of the entire concept and figure out how to go about it, the Higurashi women were both rightfully proud of their creation. Souta's costume was noticeably less complicated.

Thumping down the stairs two at a time, the boy walked with an exaggerated stride, proudly sporting his knee-length rolled up denim and red vest fastened with three brass buttons. Resting ostentatiously on his head was a straw hat shaped in a distinctively Western design, featuring a red hatband around the crown that matched his vest. Kagome merely rolled her eyes, but Inuyasha's attention was captured more thoroughly, as he cocked his head to the side in canine confusion before blurting out "What the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded for cussing in front of her mother, though Mrs. Higurashi merely smiled, and, completely ignoring the hanyou's inappropriate vocabulary, went about taking several pictures of Souta.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy." the boy answered as though it were obvious, conveniently forgetting the fact that they didn't get the latest manga back in the Sengoku jidai, or any manga at all, for that matter.

"Keh, don't look like no monkey I've ever seen before." Inuyasha shrugged off to himself, earning another, more subdued and realistic giggle from the 'kitsune' by his side.

Shooting a shy smile sideways as he dared glance Kagome's way, his lips developed more of a curve when the miko greeted his gaze with a smile of her own. He definitely would not regret allowing her to have this night off to celebrate the bizarre holiday, nor would he regret sharing it with her, and from the look in Kagome's eyes, it was clear to Inuyasha that her thoughts were running along similar lines.

Finally, after the girl was sure her mother had filled up the entire SD Card, the trio was allowed to depart into the rapidly approaching night, the last sliver of sunlight disappearing beyond the horizon just as they made it to the torii gate.

...o...o...

"Trick or Treat!"

"Oh, goodness me! It's a pirate!" the woman at the door exclaimed in faux panic. Reaching into the bowl of candy she held in her arms, she selected a mini Hershey bar before reaching forward to drop it into Souta's bag. "Here you go, young man, you get _one piece_." she snickered to herself before shutting the door.

_Ha ha, lady, it was funny the first fifty times I heard it_… the boy grumbled as he turned to head back to the street, silently vowing never to wear that costume ever again.

Meeting back up with his sister and Inuyasha where they had been waiting for him at the end of the driveway, they continued down to the next house. Inuyasha waited until he was fairly sure Souta was out of hearing range before voicing his confusion.

"I thought he said he was a monkey, but that woman just called him a pirate."

Kagome laughed a little at his confusion, which he didn't really appreciate, but it was thankfully her normal laugh, at least. Her fake, air-headed giggles could get really creepy really fast, but then again, he supposed 'creepy' was in keeping with the spirit of the holiday, which was _supposed_ to be about honoring the dead, from what he could recall of the miko's previous explanations. He quickly got his mind back on tract as said miko ceased her snickering long enough to answer his question.

"His character is a pirate, but that pirate's _name _is Monkey D. Luffy." she explained.

Inuyasha's eyes lit up with an _Oohhh_ understanding, before his brows furrowed in confusion once more. "But…what's a pirate?"

That time Kagome didn't laugh, her smile softening as she remembered the man standing beside her was from five hundred years in the past. "A pirate is sort of like a bandit, but they mainly stay on or near the ocean, using boats to raid other people trying to travel across the ocean." she explained. "Some pirates are crueler than others, as some groups are made up of people only really trying to survive, stealing what they need so that they don't starve, while others are very vicious and kill innocent people for fun."

"Souta's not pretending to be one of those, is he?" he asked, not sure he liked the idea of Kagome's brother pretending to be an evil bandit for fun. What the hell kind of fun was that? But her smile didn't waver.

"No, actually, the character Souta is dressed up as is on a quest to seek a certain special treasure, so that's his main goal and purpose, not killing."

"Heh, kind of like us…" the hanyou reflected. _Although, killing has certainly become a part of it, hasn't it? _He sighed…Kagome didn't deserve the kind of life she had been thrust into.

Wondering what had caused his expression to darken in that moment, though she thought she might have a pretty good idea, Kagome took Inuyasha's hand in her own, waiting until she had his full attention to say her next piece. Seeing his eyes focus back on hers, the miko took a moment to notice how much closer to the same height they were while she was wearing the geta sandals, but shaking that distraction free, she plowed forward.

"Inuyasha, I know we've been through so much together, but just so you know, I don't regret a minute of it. I mean, well, of course I regret all the unnecessary death, but from my end of things, my life here in this time, I don't regret what 'could've been', okay?"

He just blinked at her, unable to form words.

_Kagome_…

Reading the emotions in his eyes, Kagome offered the hanyou a heartwarming smile before tugging on his hand so that the two of them could catch up to where her brother was now ahead of them by three houses. The last thing they needed was to let Souta get lost because they were too busy making eyes at each other.

Allowing Kagome to drag him up the street with her, Inuyasha couldn't have stopped the smile spreading across his face even if he had wanted to, and he was just about to say something touching in return when an unexpected brush against his senses caused his feet to come to a dead halt, jolting the miko to a stop along with him.

"Inuyasha…?" Kagome questioned uncertainly, suddenly feeling nervous from the expression on his face, as the inu-hanyou diligently scanned the area all around them with a confused and mildly concerned look growing in his eyes, as he began sniffing wildly. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure, but I thought I smelled-" Interrupting himself mid-sentence, Inuyasha shook his head and called out, "Hey, Souta, let's skip that house. Something don't feel right."

Having already rung the bell, the boy in question turned to look quizzically in Inuyasha's direction. Then, before he could respond, or even think to move away from the door, said door suddenly slid open and a brown fury hand complete with claws quickly yanked the boy inside.


	2. Cheekygami

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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Chapter 2 – Cheeky-gami

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"Souta!" shouted Kagome, as she made a mad dash for the house, only to stumble over her geta-clad feet, nearly smashing her face on the pavement before a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind, righting her on the woodblock sandals.

_How the hell do the people in anime run around and jump and fight in these damn things? _Kagome mentally cursed, berrating herself one second later for the stupid question. Anime wasn't real, after all. Everyone she knew in the past either wore boots or flat-heeled zori sandals, not geta.

Another second after that, the wooden sandals in question were lying discarded in the street, as a barefooted Kagome rushed along after Inuyasha, who hadn't even paused to admonish her clumsiness before darting after her brother.

Smashing headlong into a barrier, Inuyasha cursed as the reflective energy crackled all around him, silently grateful that it was at least not a purifying barrier. Skidding to a stop beside her companion at the display, Kagome reached a tentative hand forward from where she stood, about six feet from the front door, and found herself unable to pass through, either, as she pressed her hand against the invisible force field.

"What _was _that?" she shouted in panic, referring to the monster that had snatched her little brother off the porch.

"I'm not certain, but I thought I smelled tanuki." Inuyasha exclaimed, smashing his fist hard against the barrier, which only ignited more sparks of energy, as the field appeared to jiggle before becoming solid once more. _Fucking thing is designed to absorb the energy of blunt force, but I can't use the Red Tetsusaiga with all these people around!_

In fact, that was an oddity in and of itself that both Kagome and Inuyasha were beginning to realize at the same time. None of the other families out Trick-or-Treating with their children had seemed to show any response to either her horror-filled cry, or the barrier's brilliant displays of crackling demonic energy.

_We're probably the only ones who can see the barrier_, the miko realized quickly, although that didn't explain why not even one single person had responded to her screaming. _Damn television's desensitizing violence!_

"We've got to find a way to get through the barrier." she said in a low tone, not wishing to be overheard now that she realized everyone around them was apparently ignorant to the situation at hand.

"What do you suggest?" Inuyasha replied with agitation lacing his voice. "A display from Tetsusaiga would probably summon those 'po-leese' foot soldiers you've warned me about."

Kagome was just about to say _fuck _the police, but quickly realized that Inuyasha was right. If there was really a youkai in there that was holding her little brother hostage, then involving the human authorities was probably the last thing they wanted to do. So many things could go wrong, from it agitating the youkai into taking more drastic actions where her brother was concerned, to even putting the police themselves in physical danger. Kagome would've taken a moment to experience pride from the realization that Inuyasha had matured to the point where hehad actually thought that matter through, himself, rather than simply smashing into the house blindly with no regard to the consequences, but she was momentarily distracted by the fact that that _thing_ still had her brother! She would feel pride in Inuyasha's maturity later.

"I didn't think tanuki could erect barriers." she said instead, her eyes quickly scanning the yard for something, _anything _she could use to channel her miko powers through. Then her eyes spotted the tree growing in the front yard, and her gaze went upward.

"Well, either this one's learned a few new tricks over the years, or he's got somebody else in there helping him out." Inuyasha hissed, angered by the fact that he couldn't smell through the barrier, so he had no way of knowing Souta's condition. He must have picked up that fleeting scent of raccoon-dog youkai during the second it'd taken Souta to pass through the barrier, not that he knew how _that _had happened, unless it had been deliberately lowered for the boy; an unsettling thought he would dwell on later, after the boy had been recovered safe and sound. Maybe he would have to use the Tetsusaiga after all…

"Get me that stick!" he heard Kagome command suddenly, and quickly turning to look her way, Inuyasha saw the miko pointing to a reasonably thin sprig growing from a larger branch on the house's sakura tree.

Glancing around to make sure no one was looking in that moment, Inuyasha quickly pounced straight up, a jump that was absolutely nothing for him but still much higher than a normal human could have ever accomplished. Effortlessly snapping the desired sprig off the tree, he handed it to Kagome upon landing. "I thought there weren't any fucking youkai in your time." he cursed more to himself, standing back to allow Kagome to do her thing.

"Well, there was the Noh Mask that one time, and we also know that the Tatari-Mokke has survived to this century." the miko commented as she closed her fingers around the thin branch in her hands and began concentrating.

_Of course, I'd never noticed any youkai in my time at all, or ghosts, or anything else out of the ordinary, before being dragged down the Bone Eater's Well_._ Maybe that experience is what awakened my miko powers? _Kagome silently wondered. _Still, if there were a lot of youkai still around, even in hiding, wouldn't Inuyasha have been able to smell them before now?_

That thought was laced with uncertainty, though, considering their present situation, and for once, Kagome found herself moderately thankful that she had lost all of her jewel shards, because she was fairly certain that currently being in the possession of even a single shard would've made present matters at least ten times worse. As it was, she was still worried that Souta had somehow been taken because he was _her _little brother, which was admittedly a long shot, but could theoretically be possible if some youkai back in the past had caught wind of who she truly was and had been in waiting all this time in order to make his move. Granted, that scenario seemed incredibly farfetched, so maybe this youkai was just randomly grabbing Trick-or-Treaters? Either way, it had her brother. Worrying her bottom lip as she concentrated on her rising miko powers, Kagome attempted to channel her purifying aura into the stick she held in her grasp as though it were one of her arrows. It would have to be enough. It _had _to be enough, she prayed, as she closed her eyes and envisioned the stick glowing brightly with purity. She was just about to plunge the projectile into the invisible barrier between her and her brother when the sound of giddy laughter and shuffling feet broke her of her concentration, causing her energy to snap back towards her hand like an American yo-yo.

"Fuck." she heard Inuyasha curse quietly from somewhere behind her, and she would have repeated his sentiment, but it was right in that moment that a pair of eight-year-old girls both dressed up like Disney princesses scurried past them, and right through the barrier, to ring the doorbell.

"Hey, kids, get away from there!" Inuyasha shouted, once again getting a blast of youkai stench as the girls traveled through the energy field that had apparently been designed to allow human children free passage. But the girls only giggled at his appearance, heedless of his warning as they snickered to themselves about how kawaii his 'cat' ears were.

"Damn it all." he cursed in rising ire, attempting to step forward but finding himself still unable to approach any closer.

Then the door opened.

"Trick or Treat!" they sang in unison, smiling at the jolly creature who stood before them in the doorway while holding up their sacks in silent pleas for candy.

_It __is__ a tanuki! _Kagome realized in wonder, before her fear level began rising once more as the overgrown raccoon-dog merrily invited the children inside to select the candy of their choosing.

"No! Don't go inside the house!" she shouted, but as if they could not hear her at all the girls happily complied to the youkai's instructions, disappearing through the door he closed securely behind them. Only the briefest of glances in her and Inuyasha's directions let the miko know that the tanuki was in fact aware of their presence, which she wasn't sure was a good or a bad thing. While most tanuki had reputations of being jolly, and sometimes even helpful creatures, and in fact Miroku's associate Hachi had proven himself quite useful on many occasions, they could also be nearly as devious as kitsune when it came to their pranks, and there were even some legends of more sinister tanuki who had taken to violence in retaliation for the violent acts that had befallen their own kind at the hands of humans.

_What if he's making 'children soup' in there?_

Before she could really begin panicking, however, the door slid back open, and the two girls emerged, each wearing huge grins as they silently skipped back towards their waiting parents. Kagome didn't even care why the girls' parents apparently either hadn't heard or had simply chosen to ignore both her and Inuyasha's shouts that their daughters stay away from the youkai's house, nor did she care why it apparently went beyond the adults' notice that the tanuki's appearance was far too realistic to have ever been a costume. The fact that the girls had been released while her brother had not had Kagome's blood boiling, rescuing Souta being the solitary thought in her mind as she quickly began channeling her miko energies once more.

"Fucking bastard…just what is he playing at?" she heard Inuyasha mutter beside her, and turning his way, Kagome continued to charge up the sprig in her hands while commenting darkly, "Maybe he just doesn't like girls."

Inuyasha shot her a momentarily confused look at that comment, before realization dawned and he quickly set her straight with, "You're wrong, Kagome. He still has those two girls as well. _Those_…" he gestured with a wave of his hand to the family departing down the street, "…are shikigami."

Her eyes widened, her sense of panic renewed. "Are you sure?"

Nodding curtly, he silently tapped his nose. Their scent had been unmistakable as soon as they'd emerged through the barrier.

_Bastard! _the miko mentally cursed, before jabbing the pointier end of her would-be arrow into the tanuki's barrier.

The barrier shimmered violently, dangerously close to dissipating, but somehow, the seemingly gelatinous properties of the energy field managed to save it from being completely destroyed. Maybe if she had her real bow and arrows, but despite what Inuyasha had told her Kaede had said of the bow from Mt. Azusa forming a connection with her heart, she had opted to leave her weapon home for the evening. It was just one night, right? What could it hurt? Besides, they were in _her _time…note the sarcasm.

Cursing under her breath, Kagome was just about to try again when the front door slid open and Souta, or at least something that _looked _like Souta, began walking towards them.

"Inuyasha?" she questioned quietly, glancing his way. Unfortunately, so long as the person before them remained on the other side of the barrier, he wouldn't be able to identify him by scent. He shot his miko companion an apologetic look in that moment, communicating as much.

Puffing her chest in determination, then, Kagome stood her ground and waited for Souta, or for the false Souta, to finish making his approach, before she demanded in a tone that left no room for argument, "Who are you?"

Unfazed by her outburst, and also seemingly oblivious to the true nature of her question, the Souta-shikigami before them remained stoic, before stating in an authoritative manner of his own, "Masaru-sama insists you leave his property at once."

It was Inuyasha's turn to speak up then, as he cracked his knuckles before stating in a deadly clam manner, "We ain't going nowhere without Souta." Scent or no scent, it was clear to him now that the thing standing before them was not Kagome's little brother, not even under a mind-control spell.

It wasn't breathing.

Having zero doubt in the man standing beside her, Kagome took Inuyasha's cue and ran with it, shouting "Give me back my brother!" before jabbing her makeshift arrow into the barrier a second time, right in front of 'Souta's' face. The boy didn't even blink at the sudden movement, nor did he move as the energy field once again struggled to maintain itself.

"Masaru-sama insists you leave his property at once." he said again, once the lightshow had subsided.

"Or else what?" asked Inuyasha, his tone of voice indicating he had no intention of complying.

Once again, the boy gave no answer.

Trying a different tactic in that moment, Kagome squared her shoulders before stating, "_I _insist Masaru release all the children he has hostage, or else Inuyasha and I _will _break through this barrier, and _when _we do, there won't be enough of your precious Masaru left to insist on _anything_."

Inuyasha glanced Kagome's way at that, both surprised by her threat and impressed by the seriousness he could hear in her voice to back it up. It was clear from the near success of her miko powers that Red Tetsusaiga's barrier-smashing technique would have no trouble pulverizing the energy field that was the only thing truly standing between them and her brother.

Still receiving no response from the false Souta standing before them, which they were both beginning to think had been hastily crafted for the sole purpose of delivering his single message, Kagome was just about to nod to Inuyasha her go ahead to use the Tetsusaiga despite any potential consequences when another Trick-or-Treating family came within range, momentarily stopping at the house right next door.

"This is just perfect…" Inuyasha heard Kagome mutter under her breath. Then the miko said the second most surprising thing of the night. "Get rid of them."

He blinked. "Kagome?"

"Just…you know, don't _hurt _them, but do whatever you gotta do to make them leave."

Nodding grimly, Inuyasha waited a few moments until the group of approaching children ran giggling from the house next door, up the street and up the few steps necessary to reach the walkway of Masaru's house. Knowing it was for their own good, the hanyou summoned within himself every dark thought that had been swirling in his head for the last several minutes, ever since he first saw Kagome's little brother get snatched away right out from under his nose. If anything happened to Souta it would be all his fault, and Kagome would be completely within her rights to demand his own life as restoration. Not to mention the fact that there was no telling how many other children that sick bastard already had prisoner in there, though they knew there were at least those two little girls. The thought of allowing any more innocent children to come to harm brought a fearsome snarl to his lips, exposing his fangs, and he used every last ounce of hostility he felt towards his own failure to project himself as the monster that the mothers in his time would tell their children he really was.

Leaping towards the group of approaching Trick-or-Treaters with a fearsome roar tumbling from deep within his throat, Inuyasha made sure to achieve an unnatural height before plummeting to the ground mere feet in front of the children, punching the concrete to give impact to his descent, heavy cracks forming around his fist. Then while still crouching on his haunches, he looked up through his bangs, every thought of what he would like to do to that tanuki translating on his face as he gazed at the human children hungrily, his chest vibrating deeply with a demonic growl no human could have possibly hoped to mimic, an animalistic sound that went even beyond a tiger's capability.

Screaming in genuine terror, the children nearly fell over each other in their frantic attempts to run back towards their parents. Parents who had also witnessed Inuyasha's display, and unlike the previous adults of that evening, were equally as terrified as their children, scrambling to retrieve their offspring before making a mad dash down the street.

At their departure, Inuyasha's ears lowered in shame, a hollow feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, but a reassuring hand on his shoulder quickly brought him back into the here and now.

"The greatest heroes are those who do what they know they must, whether or not anyone else is aware of their heroic deeds."

Offering Kagome a brief smile at her words, he nodded his greater understanding, and then rising to his feet, he promptly drew Tetsusaiga, mentally calling forth the necessary transformation for breaking through barriers. "After all that, I'm sure somebody is going to be summoning the soldiers of your time, anyway, so we better get this over with."

"I agree."

Running and jumping in order to come down at just the right angle, a monstrous cry of "Tetsusaiga!" provided the only warning before fang hit barrier, and the resulting flash of energy was enough to temporarily light the sky as if it were daytime.

_There's no way nobody else saw __that_.Kagome feared, feeling with certainty that they were now playing 'beat the clock' on top of everything else.

For what seemed like an eternity, but really only took a few seconds, Inuyasha remained suspended in midair, unmoving from his spot as Red Tetsusaiga's combative forces finally won out over the strange energy of the tanuki's barrier, causing the field to momentarily shimmer around the entire house before fizzling out completely. It was then that the stink of the simplest of all shikigami magic assaulted his nose from the direction of the false Souta, and after sheathing Tetsusaiga, it only took one swipe of his claws for the replica of Kagome's little brother to be reduced to nothing more than shredded pieces of paper.

Under normal circumstances, Inuyasha would've just stormed right into the house by that point, but he could now smell that there were over two-dozen different human children inside, and right in the main room, so he didn't dare risk doing anything that could potentially cause injury to any of the children.

"Fuck, Kagome, he's got hordes of kids in there!" he shouted, just as the miko stomped past him and up to the front door, which was of course locked. She then proceeded to pound on the door with her fist, demanding, "Masaru, your barrier is down! Open this door this instant or else we'll break inside!"

"Kagome, look!" Inuyasha called in that moment, pointing to where another Souta-shikigami was approaching them from around the house, apparently having exited through a backdoor somewhere. The superiority in craftsmanship could be spotted almost immediately, as this Souta _moved _more like Souta, and was even frowning at them with one of the boy's traditional scowls. It was also mimicking breath with its chest movements, and were it not for his newfound ability to scent the imposter, thanks to cutting through the barrier, Inuyasha worried that even he might've been fooled, at least for a minute. There was still no sound of a heartbeat, after all.

"You guys really shouldn't be here." 'Souta' said as he approached them, in a tone of voice that sounded identical to Kagome's little brother.

"Can you tell us what the fuck is going on? And why the fuck _you're _here?" Inuyasha demanded more than asked.

The shikigami's frown deepened, but then surprisingly, he answered. "Masaru-sama means you no harm. I am to return with you to your home."

"Oh _hell _no!"

Inuyasha blinked in surprise, his brain taking a full two seconds to process the fact that that curse had not come from his own lips, although he had been thinking the exact same thing.

Marching right up into the false Souta's face, Kagome waggled her finger at the spirit puppet as she proclaimed, "We're not going anywhere with _you_. I'm not leaving this house without my _real _brother!"

The shikigami almost looked concerned before it stated, "You better leave before the police show up, someone is bound to have called them." Turning its head, the shikigami glanced meaningfully in Inuyasha's direction.

The hanyou tensed slightly at the obvious meaning behind what he couldn't be sure was a lightly veiled threat or a genuine warning, but Kagome merely snorted, her newfound bravado allowing her to brush off her previous concerns as she stated nonchalantly, "Good, I _want _the police to show up. Inuyasha can make himself scarce in a heartbeat, so then all they'll find is a helpless, crying, fifteen-year-old Junior High student who keeps insisting behind her frantic sobs how the horrible man inside this house has wrongly kidnapped her brother."

Inuyasha relaxed tremendously at Kagome's words. Under normal circumstances, especially under such conditions, he knew he had to worry about her safety above his own, but she was right…this was _her _time, and he was truly the only one in any danger should any foot soldiers show up. If that happened, although he would hate to do so, he _could_ leave her alone to speak to the men herself, to tell her version of events that would leave him completely out of the picture. Not that he would truly go anywhere, keeping Kagome within his sights at all times, but it was dark out, and Kagome was right, he could make himself scarce in a heartbeat. The shikigami seemed to comprehend the truth behind Kagome's statement as well, as an expression of confusion came over the boy's features, as if he didn't know what to say next. He probably didn't, if he hadn't truly been given free will to speak for himself. His master's latest plan had failed, so now what?

Sending the miko a quick look, Inuyasha slipped away during the shikigami's moment of confusion, as it apparently awaited new instructions via the connection it shared with its master. While Kagome kept that thing distracted, he would try to find a way inside the house.

Finally, having apparently received its instructions, the false Souta spoke up once again, admitting, "He will be returned to you at sunrise, as all of the children shall be returned to their homes once this night is over."

"Why?" Kagome asked then, narrowing her eyes. "What does he want with them in the mean time?" _Come on Inuyasha, please hurry…_

"That is not your concern."

The miko was just about to supply another colorful retort to such an asinine statement when the sound of breaking glass followed by children screaming had her ignoring the false copy of her brother in favor of running around to the back of the house. There she found a perplexed and slightly nervous Inuyasha standing just inside the broken sliding glass door that led into the kitchen, staring helplessly at a small group of children who were cowering away from him, some even pleading behind sobs for him not to eat them.

"I ain't gonna eat ya, ya dummies! I'm the _good _guy!"

He took a step forward.

Their whimpering increased.

Then the Souta-shikigami appeared behind Kagome, and staring at Inuyasha in aghast horror, it demanded, "What did you do?"

"I didn't do nothing!"

"You broke the spell!"

"It's all right kids…shhhh…you're safe now." Kagome attempted to sooth, watching her step as she tiptoed around the broken glass to approach the nearest child. But the way he was staring back at her with wide, fearful eyes, and the way the other kids all tried their best to scoot themselves away from her, made it clear in that moment that the children were just as terrified of the miko-turned-kitsune as they were of the inu-hanyou. Maybe they didn't realize she was human?

"It's all right, the tail's not real. I'm just wearing a Halloween costume." Kagome tried then. "Come on, kids, don't you want to go back to your parents?" No response.

Turning to glance back Inuyasha's way with a helpless shrug of her shoulders, the look in her eyes clearly portrayed a message of _'Now what?' _

The hanyou shook his head in uncertainty to the miko's silent question before turning back to narrow his eyes at the fake Souta still standing behind him. "What spell?"

"My spell."

Inuyasha and Kagome both whipped their heads forward at the new voice.

"Masaru-sama!" all of the children cried in unison as they scrambled to their feet and ran to hide behind the fat tanuki for protection.

"It's all right children, all right. You're safe. Go wait in living room."

Silently nodding their obedience, all of the children ran out of the kitchen and into the adjoining living room, in which Inuyasha and Kagome could see several other children sitting seiza on the floor as if nothing had happened. One child was wearing a straw hat and a red vest.

"Souta!" Kagome shouted, starting to head for the living room herself before the tanuki quickly moved to stand in her way.

"Quiet, quiet!" he hissed while frantically waving his hands. "Spell is easily broken. Don't want you ripping away any more dreams. You've created so much more work for me already, so much more work."

"Just what the hell did you do to them?" the miko demanded in a low voice, allowing her powers to rise to the surface just enough to let the overgrown rat standing before her know what she really thought of him. Inuyasha had to fight his body's natural urge to step backwards at the uncomfortable tingling sensation that started crawling on his skin as a result of her flaring powers; he would not increase the distance between himself and Kagome while in the presence of a strange youkai, no matter what.

"Apologies, apologies!" Masaru stated while doing his best to bow around his overly large belly, extremely nervous to realize he had accidentally angered a miko. "I promise you I mean no harm to anyone, no harm! Come, come, see for yourselves what I have done."

That said, he turned and headed into the living room, where most of the children appeared to be in some sort of meditative state. Gesturing for Inuyasha and Kagome to follow him, they did so while remaining very wary of the situation around them. The Souta-shikigami followed after them as well, but thankfully chose to remain quiet for the time being. Once everyone was in the living room, Masaru gestured to the children who had been seated in the kitchen during Inuyasha's initial break-in. Frantically, those children all scrambled to once again stand next to the tanuki, then one by one, Masaru began chanting some kind of spell, while removing small leaves from his robes and placing one in the center of each child's forehead. Instantly nullified, the children all walked slowly to find a suitable place to sit down, and then became motionless, an eerily peaceful expression forming on their otherwise vacant faces.

_It's like Kaou all over again! _Kagome worried frantically. _He's giving them internal peace, but at what cost? _

Inuyasha had come to a similar conclusion, and was quicker at voicing his opinions out loud as he stated vindictively, "Thought you said you weren't hurting them? This sure as hell looks unnatural to _me_." Scanning the room for a moment and allowing his eyes to settle on Kagome's little brother, he asked, "What have you _really _done to them?"

Part of him just wanted to grab Souta and run, but he didn't want to risk hurting the boy if being ripped out of whatever illusion he was currently trapped in could possibly really hurt him, and besides, they couldn't just abandon all those other children, right?

"Not hurting, not hurting!" Masaru insisted, pulling another leaf from his vest and holding it up for Inuyasha's inspection, as if the inu-hanyou could identify by smell what specific type of magic had been used. Maybe he could have, had he been more familiar with tanuki illusions, but as it was…

"Why don't you tell me what it _is _doing?" he rephrased, talking slowly while grinding his teeth. It was taking Inuyasha every ounce of willpower he had within himself to not just tear the fucking tanuki to shreds, but he worried if the youkai's sudden death could also have any negative effects on the children, if the tanuki was somehow directly linked to the spells they were all under, and that worry alone was stilling his hand, at least for the moment.

"I cannot tell…" Masaru started, then faster than either of them could have ever anticipated a tanuki could move, he slapped the leaf on Kagome's forehead while uttering his chant.

"You mother fucking-!"

"Not hurting!" Masaru insisted, "Showing!" he exclaimed. "Only for a minute, then we awaken, promise promise!" he stated, holding up his hands in a pleading gesture to still the hanyou's desire to attack, as Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

_The fucking bastard knows I won't blow him to pieces where he stands with all these kids in the house, fucking hell! Kagome…_

Gazing worriedly at his miko, it was in that moment that Inuyasha realized with tremendous relief that Kagome hadn't fallen as completely under the spell as the children, probably because of her miko powers, which always seemed to render it nearly impossible for anyone to cast a spell on her properly. She was definitely seeing whatever it was Masaru wanted her to see, but at the same time, she was also still aware of her true surroundings, which became obvious when she began speaking.

"It's…okay, Inuyasha…" she managed to say slowly, the far off and somewhat glossy look in her eyes that revealed she couldn't really see him in that moment combating with the awareness in her voice that proved she at least still had her mind about her. Then her hand rose slowly and managed to peel the leaf from her forehead, much to Masaru's surprise, as he stared at the woman with an open expression of disbelief. Apparently, it had been his intention to put her just as deeply under as the children, and that knowledge made Inuyasha want to maim the fucking excuse for a dog even more slowly and painfully than before.

Kagome's instant shift in emotions quickly drew the hanyou's attention away from his adversary, though, as he stared at the miko with unveiled concern. "Are you really all right? You smell upset."

That statement caused the miko to flinch ever so slightly, before quickly plastering on one of her award-winning fake smiles. "I'm fine! But," She turned to scowl in the tanuki's direction, "What you're doing is still not right, no matter your intentions. Release these children at once, or else _I _will do it _for _you."

Thoroughly frightened of the woman he had since realized was not only a miko, but an extremely powerful one, Masaru bowed in apology once more before quickly scurrying about, waking the children from their trances. Childish whines of disappointment soon filled the room, as though all of their fun had been ruined, and in that moment Inuyasha gestured with a gentle tug on Kagome's sleeve for the miko to follow him back into the kitchen.

"Hey, what was that all about, really?"

_Oh, Inuyasha, I can't hide anything from you, can I? _

"Remember that flower-youkai, Kaou?"

He bristled at _that _name.

"What of it?"

"Well…" she hesitated, unsure of how to phrase this, before deciding to just plow on through. "Masaru's illusions pretty much work the same way, showing you what you want to see, except the difference here is I don't think there are any negative side effects, like Kaou's spell, which was actually turning people into plant food. I think Masaru really did only want to give everyone visions of happiness, so he was telling the truth when he said he wasn't hurting anybody." she explained.

"If that's true, then why did you suddenly get so sad afterwards?"

Desperately trying to hold back her tears at his comment – even childishly reminding herself that it would ruin her makeup if she didn't, anything to keep from crying – Kagome looked Inuyasha right in the eyes and admitted, "It was such a beautiful illusion, that returning to the real world is what hurts."

_She…she's upset that she came back…to me? _

Before he could misinterpret her meaning any further, Souta came running into the kitchen, chattering a mile a minute about all of the cool adventures he'd just been on in the Sengoku jidai. Yes, he knew it had only been a vision, but it had been so real, the boy honestly didn't care.

"-and then this giant _dragon _showed up, and you were there, Inuyasha! You drew your sword while I-"

"Hold on a minute, squirt. Let's back it up to the part where that mongrel dragged you through his front door." the hanyou said, sending a purposeful glance in the apprehensive tanuki's direction, as Masaru stood in the entrance to the genkan, seeing every child off as they left for home, some of them accompanied by one of his shikigami if they were too nervous to travel alone.

"Oh, uh…sorry?" Kagome's brother lamely excused.

"Sorry? You're fucking _sorry? _Do you have any idea what you put your sister and I through?"

"He couldn't help it, Inuyasha." Kagome spoke up on Souta's behalf, having witnessed first-hand what Masaru's illusions were really like.

"When the leaf first gets applied to your forehead the situation is instantly explained to you in your mind. The children were all given once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to live out whatever was their hearts' most deepest desires, and they had all instantly surrendered to the illusion, knowing that a replacement would be sent home with their parents so that their absences wouldn't be missed, and also knowing that it was only for one night, in which they could live out up to weeks of adventure in their minds, but then still be returned home before sunrise the following morning. What child could say no to an offer like that?"

Inuyasha just snorted. "Right. And he was doing this out of the kindness of his heart?"

"That's right!" Souta chimed in, quick to defend his new friend. "Don't you dare say anything bad about Masaru-sama! He let me fight youkai along side you back in the past!"

Kagome and Inuyasha both stiffened at the boy's words, since the nature of the tanuki's magic had meant that Masaru had not personally been able to see any of the children's dreams. It was beyond unwise to inform a youkai of Kagome's world about the time portal that led back into Inuyasha's.

Even Souta seemed to realize his slip of the tongue as his eyes grew huge with worry, but fortunately, the tanuki didn't catch on to Souta's actually meaning, as he stated while entering the kitchen, "Yes, yes, the days of us youkai are truly in the past." Then he gazed somewhat nervously in Inuyasha's direction, imaging just how fearsome the man must've been 'back in the day'.

Masaru had fortunately been born after the time of the Sengoku jidai, and had therefore never heard of Naraku or the Shikon no Tama. He had no idea who Inuyasha and Kagome actually were, and merely thought the human boy had been told stories by the hanyou of his previous adventures from the 'good ol' days'. Considering how strong Inuyasha's youki was, it was very likely that he could in fact make it to Kagome's time without showing much sign of aging, so there would really be no way for a youkai as weak as a tanuki to tell how old Inuyasha actually was from appearances alone. In fact, it was probably the strength of Inuyasha's father's blood flowing through his veins that had caused the tanuki to think him older than he really was in the first place, believing it would take a long time for _any_ youkai of mixed blood to gain as much power as the inu-hanyou obviously possessed, if that trick sword of his was any indication.

Back in the Edo period, Masaru had masqueraded as a priest for several years, and as a result he had learned how to create things like repelling barriers and shikigami, but as a youkai, he was still relatively weak. A tanuki's natural magic was based on illusion. He could never hope to defend himself from a youkai as powerful as Inuyasha; the fact that he was technically hanyou was irrelevant.

"Please, please…" Masaru said then, in an obvious attempt to beg for his life. "I meant no harm, truly. Not hurt the children! Give adventure!"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, looking for all the world like he wouldn't be able to say anything that didn't include at least verbally tearing the raccoon-dog to shreds, so Kagome stepped in in that moment, able to empathize, sort of, but yet also firm in her conviction that what he had been doing was wrong, regardless of his intentions.

"But you were taking children away from their parents." she started to explain. "And if that wasn't bad enough, you were also replacing them with shikigami, who can only go so far in projecting their own illusions. What if one or more of the parents discover the counterfeit?" she pointed out. "The very fabric of modern society could crumble to pieces if large groups of parents all start coming forward with the same claim of their children being replaced by magical copies."

It wasn't hard for Kagome to deduce that there were probably more youkai still around than just Masaru, but having grown up in that time and seen for herself first-hand how nobody truly believed that youkai still existed (or even _ever_ existed), it was obvious that whatever few youkai were still around were living in hiding. Taking that into consideration, Kagome imagined that if somebody like Masaru managed to blunder bad enough to make a spectacle of himself in all his youkai-glory front and center on the six o'clock news, it would not only rock the modern human world to its very core, but probably throw a giant monkey wrench into the remaining youkai underground, as well.

Masaru gulped as Kagome made her point very clear, the miko having hit the nail on the head with her conclusions. Not having ever really thought that much into it before, Masaru had been doing this for years, always in a different area so as to share his gift with as many different children as possible. Halloween was a night of magic, after all, but the miko was right, Masaru realized in that moment, the modern human world no longer believed in youkai kind, and it _would _disrupt reality if a large group of people ever actually discovered what he had been doing. Not to mention the amount of trouble he could get into if more powerful youkai suddenly deemed him a threat to their anonymity.

Then Kagome made the most black and white case of the evening.

"And even assuming you get away with it free and clear, you're still guilty of kidnapping."

Masaru cringed. He hadn't ever thought if it _that _way before, either.

"Apologies." he said sincerely, bowing as lowly as his belly would allow.

Nodding her head in the smallest of bows in return, Kagome attempted to maintain the position of superiority the tanuki had apparently placed on her, as she stated, "You are forgiven. Do not do it again."

His scowl quickly wanting to turn into a smirk at Kagome's tone, Inuyasha turned and stomped back outside to hide his momentary amusement. Stupid fucking raccoon-dog had caused way more trouble than was necessary with that fucking barrier, not to mention the way he'd snatched Souta right before their eyes like that.

Hey…wait a minute…

"I do have two questions, though." Inuyasha asked from his place outside, critically observing the position of Kagome's feet as the miko carefully tiptoed her way back through the broken glass to follow him into the yard. Then he looked back up to meet Masaru's eyes as the tanuki appeared in the doorway. "Why the hell did you snatch Souta like you did, instead of just inviting him inside like those girls? And what the fuck was up with that barrier?"

Lowering his eyes in embarrassment, not to mention the fact that the inu-hanyou still had him on edge from the sheer strength of his youki, Masaru sheepishly and somewhat nervously admitted, "I had sensed you, but hadn't known you were with the boy, hadn't known! I…I had thought…you were hunting him?"

Inuyasha merely snorted, a quiet "Feh" muttered under his breath as he turned his head away in disgust. The raccoon-dog thought he'd been hunting the boy? He'd thought he was fucking _protecting _Souta by hurrying up and yanking him inside because he could sense foreign youki nearby? Well… Inuyasha's scowl lessoned ever so slightly…he _was _a very powerful youkai, after all, so he couldn't really blame the tanuki for being afraid of his aura. Heh…

Immediately noticing the hanyou's change in mood, Kagome had to fight her own secret smile. "And the barrier?" the miko asked a second time, having realized Inuyasha had brought up a very good point. If they had been able to just go up to the door and knock from the very beginning, it would've definitely alleviated a lot of unnecessary anxiety.

"Barrier made to protect children. Designed to keep out only youki and reiki, only youki and reiki, who might sense magic and come looking. All others can pass through."

Oh…so it hadn't just been permitting the children passage alone. Kagome supposed that actually made sense, because otherwise, what would've happened had a parent been walking up to the door along side their child?

And speaking of parents and their children, or older siblings and their younger siblings, whatever the case may be…

"Come on, Souta, we're leaving." Kagome called into the house, rolling her eyes at the sight of _two _Soutas stepping around Masaru and through the broken door into the backyard.

"Can I keep him?" one of the two Soutas asked, as if his clone were a puppy that had followed him home.

"Absolutely not."

"But-"

"No."

"I will only last until sunrise." the Souta-shikigami offered out of nowhere.

"_Please…" _the real Souta begged then. "I can pretend I have a twin brother! Just until we reach the gate?" He was careful not to say 'torii' gate, lest the tanuki realize they live at the Higurashi Shrine. He'd already flubbed once that evening, and didn't need to be inadvertently giving the youkai _directions _to the magic well.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome acquiesced without further protest at the realization that the shikigami of her brother was preprogrammed to self-destruct at dawn. "_Just _until the gate." she emphasized, quickly catching on to her brother's wordage and secretly proud of his quick thinking in that regard. "I don't want to have to figure out what to tell Mama."

"Yay!" the real Souta cheered, jumping for joy and actually punching his fist into the air in his excitement. "This is gonna be great! Come on!" That said, he immediately began running up the street to the next house, his shikigami twin obediently running after him.

"Hold on a second, you two!" Kagome called after her brother, grumbling to herself as he immediately didn't listen, although she seriously doubted there were any more youkai hiding out in any of the other houses on that particular block. What would be the odds of something like _that?_ The distant sound of police sirens did tell the miko that they should probably try the houses a few blocks over anyway, though.

Retrieving her geta from where she'd left them in the street, Kagome glanced back towards Masaru's house with a mild sense of concern for the tanuki's welfare, should the authorities actually show up to investigate a call about youkai activity at that address. But instead of the tanuki, she was relieved to see an average looking middle-aged man standing in the front yard, waving his farewells when he saw her glance his way. Of _course _he could change shape, she realized with a giant 'duh' on her forehead, he was a _tanuki_. Everything would be fine, then, Kagome realized with a sense of relief. He really had meant no harm, after all, so the inherent kindness inside the miko wanted no harm to come to him, either.

Having already come to the conclusion that his companion wouldn't allow him to pound on the tanuki, even just a little bit, Inuyasha stood several houses up with his arms crossed tightly within his sleeves, trying to keep himself about halfway between Kagome and Souta, so as to best keep an eye on the both of them. Plus, he wanted to be as far away from that bastard's house as he could get before any foot soldiers actually showed up. Those strange whining sounds were getting a little louder. Kagome seemed to realize that as well, as she held her geta in her hands for a moment as she jogged quickly to catch up to him, hastily instructing that the lot of them should turn right at the next corner.


	3. Resolving Misunderstandings

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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Chapter 3 – Resolving Misunderstandings…and then some

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Attempting to salvage as much as they could of what was left of Halloween night, Kagome allowed Souta to stay out Trick-or-Treating a little while longer than usual, telling herself that the boy was older now, and therefore didn't need as early of a curfew as before. Besides…how often did somebody get to spend time with a shikigami of themselves? The miko was a tiny bit apprehensive, considering that shikigami could sometimes be a tad on the unpredictable side, but so far the second Souta-shikigami to have confronted them at Masaru's house seemed to be relatively well behaved. Her brother had agreed that they would send the overgrown paper doll packing as soon as they reached the torii gate to their shrine, so maybe she was stalling a little bit on Souta's behalf, but what could that hurt? Kagome wasn't really too worried about the shikigami's intentions when she knew that one swipe from Inuyasha's claws would effortlessly fell the creation, and it had also been discussed in private between herself and the hanyou that despite the shikigami's insistence that it would automatically cease to exist come sunrise, they would be dispatching it themselves once Souta wasn't looking, just in case. It wouldn't do to have that thing going back home to tell its master where they lived, after all.

Smiling to herself as she saw how much fun Souta was having Trick-or-Treating with his 'twin', Kagome didn't pay much attention to the relatively sour mood of the hanyou currently walking a few paces behind her. She figured that Inuyasha was just sore over the fact that he hadn't gotten to destroy anything other than a barrier, and after all of the panic and heartache that stupid tanuki had put the two of them through, Kagome knew that she couldn't really blame Inuyasha for his feelings on the matter. In fact, she completely sympathized with where he was coming from, and truth be told, she had wanted to bop that raccoon-dog upside the head herself a time or two. But as much as Masaru desperately needed to have some sense knocked into him, Kagome hoped she had been successful in that department with her words, since the kindness in her heart simply hadn't allowed the tanuki to take a beating for just being an idiot.

Sighing quietly, the miko just hoped that her warnings remained hypothetical; she didn't want to think about what would really happen if some of the parents out there actually _did _discover that their children had been replaced by shikigami. Hopefully, most of the children had made it home by that point, relieving their counterparts while their families remained none the wiser. Then there was just the issue of having so many shikigami out there running around, but hopefully they would all simply return to their creator, and if not, then at least they were all set to disband come sunrise. Despite her desire to allow her brother to enjoy as much of the night as possible, part of Kagome honestly couldn't wait until morning. She also wondered what Inuyasha's thoughts were on the subject, though she knew better than to ask him anything in that moment. She hadn't run it by the hanyou first before consenting to allow Souta some fun time with his duplicate, and the miko was more than a little worried that that was part of where Inuyasha's sour mood was coming from right there. Even overlooking that the second Souta was a non-stop reminder of all of the trickery and bullshit they had only just recently been forced to endure, Inuyasha was probably on edge over the mild worry that the shikigami could actually turn on them. It was highly unlikely, but theoretically possible, and Kagome actually felt a little guilty for putting the extra concern on his shoulders. The least she could do was let him stew over it in peace and quiet. She had learned the hard way long ago that apologizing could actually make matters worse, at least right away. He needed time to cool off first.

Keeping in step a few paces behind the others, so as to avoid the miko's apologetic glances as she silently pondered his current disposition, Inuyasha scowled, running through that night's events over and over again in his head. Yes, it still bugged him a bit that he hadn't gotten to pound on the tanuki, even a little, though even he hadn't really wanted Masaru's blood on his hands once it'd become apparent that the guy was just an idiot and not truly a villain. That didn't mean that he couldn't have at least smacked him a time or two for their troubles, but Inuyasha knew that he could eventually let it go. It wasn't really _that _big of a deal, and at least Kagome had managed to scare the living daylights out of the tanuki with her words of warning and ridicule, so that was _something_, at least. It also didn't really bother Inuyasha all that much that the stupid shikigami of Kagome's brother was currently tagging along with them, since he knew he could destroy the thing with both hands tied behind his back, and blindfolded. Besides, no matter how badly he wanted to, he couldn't really deny how amusing it was watching Souta have so much fun. No, what was truly bothering the inu-hanyou in that moment, and what he feared would continue to bother him for some time yet, was Kagome's words upon snapping herself out of Masaru's illusion.

"_It was such a beautiful illusion, that returning to the real world is what hurts_._" _

Gods…his eyes pinched shut tightly at the echo of her words. Was this how _she _had felt, back when he'd confessed to having had a vision of Kikyou during Kaou's illusion? If so, then Inuyasha really wanted to kick himself for not realizing how much pain he'd actually put her through back then. He'd been such an ass, he knew, unable to give Kagome a straight answer when she'd asked him if he had wanted to go with Kikyou during the dream. But in reality, that was such an unfair question, and he had feared his answer would've actually hurt her even more than no answer at all. Yes, he had wanted to go with Kikyou, during the dream itself, in which Kaou had been fucking with his mind. In that dream, he had temporarily forgotten all about Kagome, but that had been the nature of the spell. Then her voice had broken through Kaou's magic, reminding him of her, reminding him of the truth, and Inuyasha had woken up then, having realized that the vision of Kikyou was not real. During the dream all he had been thinking about had been Kikyou, but upon hearing Kagome's voice, upon coming back into himself, he had been relieved that she had managed to save him, and he had felt guilty for even temporarily forgetting about her, spell or no spell. Still, if he had _truly _wanted to go with Kikyou, with every fiber of his being, then he would've surrendered fully to Kaou's illusion almost immediately, and Kagome wouldn't have been able to save him if that had happened. So somewhere in the back of his unconscious mind, Inuyasha actually hadn't forgotten about the future-born miko after all, despite Kaou's intention, since something had obviously been preventing him from just up and running after Kikyou's image at her beckoning. He hadn't run right into Kikyou's arms; despite his deisre, he had hesitated. But be that as it may, Inuyasha knew that because he had been unable to explain himself to her at that time, Kagome had been left with the false impression that upon waking up, her voice had actually pulled him from a fantasy he had been enjoying, as if he had somehow regretted reentering the 'real world', which was exactly what Kagome had just told him she'd experienced herself. It had hurt to come back to him. Gods, how fucked up was _that?_

Of course, a little voice in the back of his head was continually arguing with him over the fact that she hadn't _really _said that it had hurt to come back to _him_, but what else could she have meant? It had hurt to come back to the real world, and the real world consisted of her current mission traveling by his side, didn't it? Still, he was trying to convince himself to not take it so personally. She hadn't really said _what _her fantasy had been, but anything would be better than the current reality of needing to find and defeat Naraku, right? So maybe what Kagome had actually meant was that it had hurt to realize that she once again had to face a world in which the dark hanyou was currently in possession of the nearly completed Shikon no Tama, a world in which that bastard was responsible for countless innocent deaths. That was what she had meant, right?

Still, the inu-hanyou couldn't help but to feel a little hurt at the realization that his presence in her life was apparently not enough to keep her from longing for the fantasy world in which there was no Naraku. Inuyasha would sacrifice nearly anything if it would mean getting rid of the dark hanyou once and for all, but he honestly wasn't sure if Kagome could be one of those things. The miko's presence in his life was just about the only thing that actually made life worth living for him. Of course, he also knew that despite his feelings on the matter, she still had a second life on that side of the well, complete with a family who loved her. It was also still much safer in her world than it was in his own, despite the occasional tanuki who apparently liked kidnapping young children to secretly allow them to live out their wildest fantasies from the safety of his home.

Shaking that thought free, Inuyasha remembered how, just a few nights ago, he had actually suggested to the miko that she remain in her world until after the defeat of Naraku, but Kagome had rejected his offer, insisting that her place was by his side, no matter what. His heart had soared at her words, despite his continual worry for her safety. He hadn't really wanted to be away from her like that, but he would've dealt with it if she had wanted to stay behind. Yes, as he thought about it, while Inuyasha wasn't sure if he could actually sacrifice Kagome's place in his life just to magically get rid of Naraku, he knew that if it ever truly came down to it, he _could _sacrifice Kagome's place in his life for her _own _well-being, if it meant that she would be safe. Still, he was glad that he hadn't been forced to make such a sacrifice, after all. But her insistence those few nights ago that her place was by his side seemed to go against what had transpired tonight, if it had been emotionally disconcerting for her to remember what the 'real world' currently was. Yes, the 'real world' contained Naraku, but the 'real world' also contained Inuyasha. If she were so willing to give him up if it meant living a safe, Naraku-free life, then why had she rejected the offer when he had presented her with that very opportunity for real? Had she only done so out of obligation? Did she regret that decision now? Had her fantasy that evening included accepting his offer and choosing to remain in her world instead of continuing with their mission in his?

Part of him wanted to just ask her about it, but a greater part of him knew that he feared her answer; he didn't know what he would do if she actually confirmed his assumptions. While they had never actually sat down and discussed their feelings for one another, Inuyasha had come to believe in his heart that Kagome loved him. But what if he was mistaken? What if she only loved him as a friend? Never mind the fact that they had almost kissed twice within the span of five days. That fact was conveniently overlooked in the face of his current insecurities.

Sighing quietly to himself, Inuyasha knew that his current line of thinking wouldn't get him anywhere. He needed to either confront her about it, or let it go, plain and simple. But could he let it go? Could he pretend that she'd never said anything and just go on as if everything were normal? Maybe he was worrying about nothing. After all, how could he truly judge her opinion of him when he had absolutely no idea what her fantasy world had been about? Maybe it had simply been something so wonderful, so unbelievably amazing, that she had temporarily forgotten about him altogether. Of course, that thought hurt him, too, but Inuyasha knew that he really had no right to pass judgment after experiencing such magics for himself. He was also quick to remind himself how Kagome had still managed to keep her sense of self about her during the illusion, even going so far as to speak to him, proving that she couldn't have _completely _forgotten about him, no matter how powerful the spell had been. She had also been the one to put a stop to the deception, herself, having found the willpower to remove the leaf from her own forehead. So no matter how wonderful the dream had been, no matter how painful it was to know that it had only been a fantasy, she had still been the one to _choose _to reenter the 'real world' of her own freewill. That had to count for something, right?

Growing tired of looking at the sidewalk, Inuyasha raised his head to once again gaze at the miko walking a few paces ahead of him. She was doing good to leave him alone to his thoughts as they stopped at the various houses that still had their lights on, never once confronting him regarding his feelings, although it was clear to him by her scent of unease that she was well aware of his current mood. Still, Kagome was doing good to project a happy image in front of her brother. She wouldn't let her concerns over the hanyou's feelings make her inadvertently ruin the boy's special night.

Of course, Inuyasha had no intention of accidentally spoiling Souta's fun, either, and that was the main reason why he had opted for quiet contemplation for the time being, rather than having it out with the miko over her thoughtless words. He had come to the conclusion that nobody could really be blamed for whatever their minds concocted while in any type of dreamlike state, _especially _ones triggered by outside forces of magic, but you don't just up and tell the guy to his face that it had been a hard slap of reality to find yourself once again in his presence! Of course, those had hardly been the exact words Kagome had used, that little voice reminded him yet again, but they might as well have been.

_Kagome…_

He sighed again, the sound so quiet that he knew she would never catch it with her weak human ears. She was still just a weak human, wasn't she? He tried to tell himself that, that she was still weak, still needed him to protect her. But the truth was she had grown so much stronger since their mission had first begun, that he sometimes found himself wondering how badly she truly needed him by that point. Not that he thought she could really go it alone. She _was_ still only human, after all, but she was also a very powerful miko, and truth be told, he admired her strength. Did Kagome know that? Did she know how much he admired her? Appreciated her? Loved her? Probably not, considering he had never told her any of those words. Oh sure, he'd done his best in more recent weeks to drop a subtle hint here or there about how he really felt, but Inuyasha knew that he could still be guilty at times of putting his foot in his mouth, of inadvertently hurting the miko's feelings because of his own stupid inability to simply say what he meant.

Take earlier that evening, for example. How hard would it have been to simply tell her how beautiful he thought she looked, when she had asked him his opinion regarding her Halloween costume? Instead, he had completely skipped over her remark about kitsune turning themselves into beautiful young women in favor of teasing her regarding the 'kitsune' aspect of her outfit. At least he had managed to avoid swallowing his own foot, for once, having fortunately not made any kind of cracks about her _not _being beautiful, like he could've lied to her face like that. Maybe back in the beginning, but that was just because he hadn't really liked her all that much at first, so it had been easier to insult her because he had been trying to keep a wall built up between them. A wall she had completely and utterly pulverized with her heart's own barrier-smashing technique, damn woman. Damn _beautiful _woman.

_And with that tail, she really __is__ dressed like a kitsune…_he thought languidly, unconsciously following the movements of the faux fur accessory as it slowly swished from side to side in time with her steps. _Oh kami! _Inuyasha realized suddenly. _I'm fucking staring at her ass again! _

Quickly lowering his eyes to once again study the sidewalk as he followed after Kagome and her brother, the hanyou silently prayed that the miko would not choose to turn his way in that moment, while his burning cheeks were surely almost the color of his fire-rat. Inuyasha might not be a complete and total hentai like the bouzu, but that didn't mean he was blind, and he had admitted, at least to himself, that he had feelings for Kagome. When you had feelings for somebody, physical attraction was obviously going to be part of the deal. How could it not be? But even though Inuyasha had come to terms with his feelings for the miko, how she truly felt about him was currently open for debate, and he refused to let his hormones get the better of him, even momentarily, until that matter was resolved once and for all. It looked like he would be confronting her about her fantasy, after all.

...o...o...

Just as Kagome had believed, eliminating the shikigami of her brother hadn't been difficult in the slightest. The spirit puppet hadn't even attempted to put up a fight, probably having received last minute instructions from its creator before leaving with them to do whatever they asked.

As promised, as soon as they'd reached the torii gate Souta had bid his duplicate farewell, and fortunately with a relatively cheerful disposition. He either hadn't comprehended that even by its own admittance the shikigami would more or less 'die' come sunrise, or he had in fact comprehended the deeper truth that the shikigami was in reality not truly alive to begin with. Whatever the case might have be, all Kagome cared about was that it had not turned into a tearful goodbye on her brother's part. How would they have explained his somber mood to their mother? As soon as he had run happily into the house, the door closing securely behind him, Kagome had instructed the shikigami to hold still while Inuyasha readied his claws for silent attack. The replica of her brother had merely nodded its understanding and obedience, and two seconds later the shredded remains of a plain paper doll were drifting soundlessly towards the concrete.

Now, as Kagome stood in front of her bedroom mirror, taking longer than was necessary to remove all of the combs and sticks from her hair, the miko couldn't help but to allow her wandering thoughts to swirl towards the subject of the grumpy hanyou currently enduring her brother's endless chatter downstairs. His mood had yet to revert back to normal after their ordeal with Masaru, but even with as annoying as that tanuki had been, and with as panicked as she herself had temporarily felt back when she'd believed her brother and other children to be in serious danger, Kagome still considered it a bit overkill that everything was _still_ bothering Inuyasha so badly. Yes, it had been a pretty fucked up situation, at that time, and she had damn near had a heart attack over worrying for Souta's life, but it was over now.

Still, Kagome knew that Inuyasha could hold onto a grudge for a long time, and the miko also suspected that it wasn't really so much the tanuki itself that he was still seething over, but more his own supposed failure in that _any _youkai had managed to get its paws on her little brother. Souta had been _his _responsibility, after all, or so Kagome was sure the hanyou had considered it in his mind. She would have to find a subtle way of letting Inuyasha know that she 'forgave' him, without inadvertently allowing him to believe that she actually shared his warped viewpoint regarding his own failures, because she didn't. Neither of them had had any idea that there were still youkai of that nature running lose in her time, after all, and with that barrier masking the tanuki's scent except for the briefest of moments in which Souta had passed through it, how the hell was Inuyasha supposed to have known that there was anything out of the ordinary going on in her neighborhood? Truth be told, Kagome was _proud _of him, for how maturely he had handled the entire situation as a whole, instead of completely losing it and blowing the house to bits in his aggravation. He had also managed to restrain himself from even punching the tanuki's lights out, which Kagome was sure he had desperately wanted to do, and had probably only held himself back for her sake. The miko just prayed that Inuyasha wasn't actually beating himself up over figuring that _she_ was angry with _him_ over what had transpired, because in reality, nothing could be any further from the truth.

Unsure of how she should proceed should his attitude continue to remain as gloomy as it was for much longer, Kagome sighed in a combination of defeat and relief while pulling the final and largest clip from her hair, her raven locks tumbling freely about her shoulders with a temporary curl caused by their prolonged restraint. Setting the last of her hair accessories on her dresser, the miko turned to head towards the restroom, so as to wash the makeup from her face, and quickly found herself jumping backward in surprise at the sight of Inuyasha standing in her doorway, fist poised to knock on the frame.

_How long has he been standing there? I didn't hear a thing! _

It was a little disconcerting for the future-born miko to know that he could still sneak up on her so easily, especially when he wasn't even trying. Kagome was truly more bothered by the realization that she could still so fully block out her awareness of the world around her, a trait that could easily prove deadly in the Sengoku jidai, than she was by the thought of Inuyasha silently watching her undo her hair bindings. It was also clear from his expression in that instant that he _hadn't_ deliberately meant to startle her, so quickly trying to brush off her surprise, lest he feel any more guilty than he possibly already did, Kagome decided to tease him good-naturedly by blurting out "Don't _do _that!" while openly laughing at her own foolishness.

Her teasing and laughter successfully breaking the ice, Inuyasha chuckled a bit himself before quietly muttering "Sorry?" in a not-so-apologetic manner. Truth be told, the inu-hanyou found it thoroughly amusing that he could still startle Kagome so easily, especially since he honestly hadn't meant to sneak up on her right then. He had only just managed to excuse himself from Souta's expertly edited yet equally ecstatic retelling of that night's Trick-or-Treating adventures to their mother, coming upon the open doorway of Kagome's bedroom just as she was turning around after having sat something down on her dresser.

Kagome's reaction to his appearance had made it seem as if he had been standing there secretly ogling her for the last five minutes, not that he wouldn't have been tempted had the thought crossed his mind that he could've actually gotten away with it. Her hair looked so much better down, and with the added volume and wave her sable tresses were currently sporting, Inuyasha realized in that moment that he would've loved to have witnessed each separate ornament being pulled one by one, each releasing small groups of curls to bounce happily in their freedom.

_Oh man_… When had he turned into such a pansy? _I was __not__ just fantasizing about her fucking hair! _

Fortunately unaware of his distressing inner monologue, Kagome stepped away from her doorway to allow Inuyasha entry into her bedroom. She found it mildly surprising when he quietly closed and locked the door behind himself as he entered, but the miko simply figured that he must've wanted to avoid Souta barging in on whatever it was he wanted to say to her. Not that she could blame him, considering what had happened the _last_ time the two of them had been alone in her room together. Of course, _that _line of thinking quickly had the miko's cheeks darkening to a hue that nicely matched her eye and lip makeup, and she suddenly found herself silently praying that Inuyasha was still caught up enough in his own thoughts that her unexpected shift in mood had gone unnoticed.

As it turned out, luck was on our miko's side in that moment, as Inuyasha remained just as blissfully unaware of her sudden and somewhat embarrassing thoughts as she did of his own, as he strode with determination towards her open bedroom window, sliding it shut as well. He _really_ didn't want to risk anyone managing to overhear them.

Turning to face Kagome with a mild sense of apprehension, Inuyasha squared his shoulders before pulling the sheathed Tetsusaiga from his obi, standing his sword gently against the wall beside her headboard before sitting down cross-legged on her bed. Facing her desk, the hanyou was finding the ability to speak somewhat elusive in that moment, as he silently pleaded with his eyes while briefly glancing her way for her to take a seat beside him without protest.

Obeying the silent command somewhat nervously, Kagome couldn't really explain the sudden eruption of butterflies she could feel trying to break free from their confinement within her stomach. She was glad that Inuyasha wanted to talk with her, after all, so what was there to be nervous about? He was just upset over everything that had happened in regard to that raccoon-dog youkai and the shikigami, right? He was probably just going to scold her a little over how she was too nice for her own good, and maybe threaten that she was no longer allowed to be in her time unsupervised, now that it had been brought to their attention that youkai were apparently still alive and well in her century. All things considered, she would agree with him on both counts.

With those types of thoughts tumbling around in the miko's head, just imagine Kagome's surprise when the first words to actually leave Inuyasha's mouth after sitting down were,"What did you see?"

_Huh? _

It actually took Kagome a moment to realize what Inuyasha was talking about, and the rosy tint she had only just barely managed to remove from her cheeks was instantly back with a vengeance. She was unable to keep her blush hidden from Inuyasha's notice that time, either, as both his eyes and nose immediately picked up on her instantly flustered state at his question.

"That good, huh?" he asked her next, although instead of any hint of playfulness or teasing, his tone of voice revealed heartache and dejection. Emotions that were confusing enough for our miko to swallow her own embarrassment in the face of needing to know what was tormenting her friend.

"I…I don't understand. What's wrong?" she began slowly, truly baffled over why her embarrassment would depress him.

Silently, the hanyou's ears lowered to his head in a crestfallen manner in the face of her obvious confusion. Kami, she was so unaware of his feelings for her that it didn't even dawn on her why her fantasy world would upset him? And what was up with that initial reaction of hers? Among shock and embarrassment, he had definitely picked up a twinge of sexual arousal, as his question undoubtedly triggered a brief memory of some sort. Fuck, just what _had _been in that fantasy world of hers? The more he decided that he really needed to know, the more he knew that he really didn't _want _to know.

Kagome was beyond baffled. She didn't need the ability to scent out emotional changes to know how upset Inuyasha currently was, and to make matters worse, it was suddenly clear to her that his attitude all night long had actually had nothing to do with the tanuki, or at least not directly. He had been stewing over the fantasy world Masaru had briefly shown her. But why? Simple curiosity? If that were the case, then he wouldn't have gotten so upset at clearly figuring out at least _some _of what her dream world had consisted of. Well, okay, so she hadn't had any actual visions of _that_, per se, but she and Inuyasha had been married in her dream, and her reaction now had more stemmed from her own realization of what all that would entail. If only... But getting herself back on track, the miko was truly baffled. His reaction didn't make any sense, regardless of his reasons for wanting to know what she saw. Depending on his mood at any given time, Kagome could anticipate and accept three different reactions from her hanyou upon his realization that she had had a fantasy about him. One - pretend indignation, as he used anger to conceal his surprise, either telling her outright that he didn't share her feelings, or perhaps a less hurtful avoidance in stating that they simply had more important things to be thinking about, like slaying Naraku. Two - egotistical pride, though admittedly unlikely, but if the mood struck him just right, and considering the two of them were currently alone, she wouldn't put it past him to act a little cocky with his newfound knowledge. Three - and probably the most likely reaction she would have expected from him, embarrassment and shyness either equal to or even surpassing her own. Nowhere on the color wheel of 'Inuyasha emotions' did depression or resignation even come close. It didn't make any _sense_. Unless…

"Oh…no…oh kami…"

_Great, now she's gonna start apologizing_, he grumbled to himself as her scent changed yet again to now include guilt and remorse.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. I'm sorry for even bringing it up." he said quickly, uncurling his legs over the edge of her bed to rise to his feet.

Or he _would _have risen to his feet, had her hand on his thigh not instantly stilled him in that moment. Hesitantly, he gulped, turning his head slowly to find his gaze suddenly locked onto twin pools of chocolate love and affection. How could she look at himlike that after already revealing that coming back to the real world – coming back to _him_ – had been painful?

_Not really her exact words_… that little nagging voice tried to remind him for the hundredth time that evening. Well, it looked like he would be hearing her exact words on the matter any second now, and then he could tell that annoying little voice to suck it.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome began slowly, making sure she had his full attention before continuing, as she could clearly see some kind of internal battle waging behind his molten gaze of golden honey. There was so much pain in his eyes, pain that she suddenly and completely understood, and felt completely responsible for, for allowing such a misunderstanding to have developed in the first place, never mind allowing it to escalate to such a point. There was no reason for him to feel insecure or unwanted.

"My fantasy…"

His ears flicked forward.

"That vision…"

His ears pulled backward, lowering to his head.

"That glimpse of my heart's true desire…"

He pinched his eyes shut.

"Was about you."

He gasped, but it was more than just a quick intake of air. His entire body jolted suddenly at her confession. His ears sprang forward, his eyes flew open, and his heart most definitely skipped a beat or two.

"Wh-what?" he managed to get out, mentally kicking himself over stuttering like an idiot.

Despite her burning cheeks, the miko plowed forward, making sure to leave no room for any misunderstandings.

"In my fantasy world, created by Masaru's magic, you and I were…together…living day to day life happily in a world where all of Naraku's evils had been undone. The jewel was gone, and all of the innocent dead had been revived. Sango's village and family were whole, Miroku's father was still alive, and Kouga's pack had been restored. Even Kikyou had been given a second chance at life, and she…"

Inuyasha had become completely engrossed in Kagome's story, her implications behind the word 'together' not having been lost on him, as he felt his own cheeks warming slightly to match her own. He mentally cringed a bit at the sound of _her _name, although he didn't think the emotion had translated on his face. Refocusing his eyes on Kagome in that instant, Inuyasha found that he was right; she had not stopped her description because of any reaction on his end. She looked genuinely troubled, which confused him, because if this was supposed to have been a fantasy in which she'd had her every heart's desire, then what was there to feel troubled about?

"What's wrong?" he asked her then, genuinely concerned, and Kagome had to smile to herself at their sudden role reversals. His hand placed tenderly over her own upon his thigh warmed her heart.

"Nothing, just…I didn't want to upset you."

"Feh!" he snapped, removing his hand, although there was a good deal of teasing behind the gesture, as he glanced her way a bit sheepishly, his own embarrassment clear to her by that point. "Just go on, what were you going to say about Kikyou? You said she'd been given a second chance at life, right? So that was a good thing, wasn't it?"

"Oh yes, everything in my fantasy world was good." she managed to confess without her cheeks flaming any darker at the inadvertent possible double-meaning that thankfully went over his head.

"So then what were you going to say? Kikyou was given a second chance at life, and she…what?"

Sighing, Kagome knew that she would never be able to get him to let it go, and refusing to answer, or answering with anything other than the truth, would only make matters worse in the long run.

"She…had given us her blessing."

Eyes widening slightly, as that hadn't really been what he'd been expecting her to say, although to be truly honest he'd had no _idea _what she'd been about to say, Inuyasha found himself having to clear his throat to remove the sudden lump of nervousness that had formed in that moment, temporarily making speech impossible.

Kagome took advantage of the brief moment of silence to replay her own words back to herself in her mind. Not anything she had just said to him within the last five minutes, but what she had originally said to him over two hours ago, upon first pulling herself from the tanuki's spell. All she had said was that the fantasy world had been so beautiful that it had hurt her, in a way, to come back into the real world. She hadn't given him any reason to believe that her fantasy world had included the two of them being together, or that it had included him at all, for that matter. Kagome really wanted to kick herself. She knew how self-conscious and insecure he could sometimes be, even though he usually always masked those feelings with gruff indifference. But gods, how about a little faith once in a while? Had she truly given him no reason to even consider the _possibility _that he was in fact important enough to her to have been included in her heart's deepest fantasy? Kagome wanted to feel insulted, but one look at Inuyasha's face, still frozen in a comical mix of shock and embarrassment, instantly had the miko remembering why she loved that man so deeply in the first place.

Finally, the hanyou's frozen features seemed to melt, as a warm smile slowly blossomed across his face. Had the others been around in that moment, he would've been mortified to be caught having the type of conversation they were currently engaged in, but as it was, they were alone; it was okay to let his walls down, just this once.

"I…I can't believe I didn't realize that you…I'm sorry for doubting you." he finally settled on, and with every fiber of his being, he meant it.

Kagome's heart soared at his words, and suddenly realizing that her right hand was still resting motionless upon his left thigh, she decided to tease him a bit by gently squeezing his leg, just a little, as she cooed, "That's all right. No harm done."

She got the reaction she'd been expecting, as his eyes bugged out in surprise before he quickly reached down to still her hand, his action soon followed by the breathy question, "Wha...what are you doing?"

Retracting her hand, she chuckled quietly, her eyes shining mirthfully with a look that clearly said _'Got ya'_.

Face flushing as red as his suikan, the hanyou would admit, at least to himself, that part of him had actually felt thrilled at the simple touch. And Kagome had more or less just told him point blank to his face that she had fantasized about the two of them being _together_…as in, 'together' together, _living _together, as man and woman. While he knew that nothing along those lines could rightfully be discussed for real until after the completion of their mission, Inuyasha suddenly realized that there would likely never be a more opportune moment to at least prove to her that he did return her feelings. Didn't they have some expression in her century about the third time being the charm?

Kagome's amusement was short-lived as she suddenly felt Inuyasha reach forward to clasp her hand yet again. Meeting his eyes with her own, any thought to speak that she might have felt immediately fled her mind at the intensity of his stare. His eyes seemed to speak volumes to her, and she knew that she should be listening, should be able to understand what it was they was telling her, but in that moment, the miko honestly found herself simply lost in her admiration for their beauty. And then they were closing, blocking her out, which allowed her to snap back into reality just in time to realize what was actually happening before she felt the gentle pressure of Inuyasha's lips upon her own. Her own eyes opened wider for the briefest of moments before closing in turn, as she instantly melted into the kiss, her heart doing a little happy-dance inside her chest that also seemed to wake up the nearly forgotten butterflies down in her stomach. He was _kissing _her!

Considering that Kagome had actually been the one to first start making the move both previous times that they had nearly kissed, Inuyasha hadn't been _too _worried about her possible reactions, but it was still a tremendous relief for the inu-hanyou when he felt the woman before him instantly returning his kiss. It also wasn't long before Kagome took what would've been a sweet yet simple chaste kiss, and built upon it, escalating the amount of passion between them as she opened her mouth, her tongue coxing his own to come out and play. Surprised but also equally delighted, the feeling of giddy excitement that had been steadily growing in his stomach soon dropped lower, turning into a much different type of excitement. One that the hanyou knew he had to put a stop to before they both ended up doing something that they'd regret. Not that he would _ever _actually regret being with Kagome, but right now…it was all just too much, too soon, and there were too many variables to consider. To ignore everything else and just follow their passion would be…too irresponsible.

Kagome seemed to realize this at the same time as her would-be lover, as she didn't protest when Inuyasha began to pull away from their kiss. Instead, she tightly wound her arms around his back, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she embraced him for all he was worth, her heart soaring anew when she felt Inuyasha instantly return her hug without the slightest hint of hesitation. Desperate not to break the mood, she tried hard not to giggle at the sensation of him sniffing her hair, but he must have noticed her growing mirth anyway, because he pulled back from the hug after a moment, thankfully wearing a happy, relaxed expression on his face.

"Sorry…" he muttered through a sheepish grin, explaining behind a light dusting of pink, "Your scent just calms me down, and, well…" Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, Inuyasha hoped he really didn't need to spell it out for her beyond that.

Fortunately, the 21st century teenager was fairly knowledgeable when it came to the workings of the male anatomy, even if it still embarrassed her somewhat to think about those _workings _in regard to the man currently sitting before her. Kagome was just about to think of some way to tell Inuyasha that it was all right, that she did indeed understand but that there was also nothing to be embarrassed about, when one look directly at his face had the miko giggling uncontrollably.

"Oi!" he snapped, somewhat offended. "What the hell is so funny?"

Unable to answer him in that moment, Kagome merely pointed to her mirror. As she tilted her head back in an attempt to catch her breath, he caught the first clear glimpse of her lips since pulling away from the kiss, and suddenly, Inuyasha thought he might have figured out what the woman found so amusing. One glance in her mirror confirmed as much, as he instantly solved the riddle as to where most of her lip color had gone. It was on _his _lips.

"Feh…pink is so not my color." he grumbled good-naturedly, causing the miko to giggle even harder. "Come on, you, let's both go get cleaned up before somebody sees us like this. Kinda hard to hide what we've been doing." he added as he rose to his feet and offered her his hand to help her stand as well.

With the assistance of his superior hanyou senses, Inuyasha and Kagome were able to successfully sneak into the restroom, where she assisted him with the removal of his unintentional coating of lipstick. He was right; pink was definitely _not _his color. Not really wanting to be away from Kagome for the moment, and not seeing any reason to leave as she had no need to relieve herself and was only using the sink to wash her face, Inuyasha remained in the restroom with Kagome until she was finished with the removal of her own makeup as well. Then, once both of their faces were washed and dried, they snuck back into her bedroom together, closing and locking the door a second time. Even though they truly had no plains of continuing where they'd left off, they still wanted their privacy.

Obediently facing the wall with his eyes closed while Kagome changed out of her kimono and into her Western-style flannel pajamas, the hanyou took that moment of quiet to contemplate everything that had transpired between himself and the miko within the last few minutes. He had made a total ass out of himself, again. Kagome had forgiven him, again. So what else was new? What else was _new?_ Really? Oh, how about Kagome confessing to her perfect fantasy world indeed consisting of a reality free from the evils of Naraku, in which the two of _them _had been living together happily. How about finally sharing a first kiss, and one doozy of a first kiss at that. He never would've thought he'd ever one day have the privilege of knowing what Kagome's _tongue_ tasted like. What else was new? Every moment that would come into existence from that second onward would be new, thrilling, and exciting. It would be a moment in which he knew that Kagome loved him, and she knew that he loved her. Oh sure, neither of them had actually said the words, but after her confession, and especially after sharing a kiss like _that_, Inuyasha didn't need to hear her say the words to know how she felt about him. He wondered briefly if she was still waiting to hear him say it, but while he still wasn't sure if he could find it within himself to say the L word _first_, he would definitely continue showing her how he felt whenever possible, and if the day ever came when she actually said the words to _him_ first, then he knew he'd be able to repeat them.

"Okay, you can turn around now."

Doing so, he smiled at the sight before him. His Kagome was back. While she had looked amazing in her traditional robes, there was just something about those fuzzy pa-ja-ma things that warmed his heart. Then she turned around and wiggled her butt at him, revealing that she had attached the fake kitsune tail to her pajama pants, and he couldn't help but to chuckle along with her as she laughed.

"You're an idiot." he said good-naturedly.

Reaching behind herself and unclasping the clip at the end of the fake tail, Kagome sat the costume accessory on her desk while replying with a shrug "Maybe, but I'm _your _idiot."

Turning back his way, Kagome smiled at his expression.

"Kagome, I…" _love you_…

"I know." she answered softly, reading his unspoken words in his eyes.

_I love you too_… her eyes replied, and his expression softened as he nodded his understanding.

"Well, off to bed with you. Don't think I'm gonna let you sleep-in for half the morning just 'cause you're going to bed so late." he said in a friendly enough manner, moving to settle himself on her bedroom floor for the remainder of the night.

"Why don't you…sleep up here with me?" came a hesitant voice from behind.

Turning to face her again, his gaze held surprise but also desire, and not the smoldering kind. He could control himself. He _would _control himself. But to spend even one night with Kagome in his arms…

Wordlessly, Inuyasha responded to her suggestion by making his way towards the bed, and smiling brightly, Kagome immediately scooted herself over to make enough room for him. She was sure that he would be getting up before her, assuming he even truly fell asleep at all, so she would let him have the open side of her bed while she took the side near the wall.

Crawling under the blankets, Inuyasha's movements were slow and meticulous, so as to commit every single thing about the moment to memory forever. Laying on his left side and currently facing Kagome who was laying on her right, he offered her one of the truest, most genuine smiles she had ever seen appear on his face. For the first time in his life, he was actually allowing himself to feel happy.

"Try to get some sleep, yourself." she told him then, "And I mean some _real _sleep. You probably need it, and even if you don't, you definitely deserve it." She could see the slight hesitance in his eyes so leaning her head forward to quickly peck his lips, she assured him sincerely, "You are safe here. _I _am safe here. Relax. Sleep."

His gaze softened at her gesture and at her words. "Roll over." he asked her softly, and although Kagome was slightly disappointed, since she had hoped they could sleep facing each other, she obeyed his command without protest.

It only took her three seconds to realize that she was very glad she had done as he asked.

Pulling the miko fully into his embrace, Inuyasha spooned himself against her, tucking Kagome into every nook and cranny of his larger frame. Wrapping his arms securely around her, he buried his nose in her hair and just breathed. He could smell the soaps she'd used to wash her hair that morning, as well as the products for lasting hold that had been added to assist her with the bun she'd worn that night, but underneath it all, he could clearly and easily pick up the scent that was wholly Kagome. The scent that both calmed his nerves and got his heart pounding. The scent that could just as easily temper his fired up youkai side as it could heat up and melt the ice around his human heart. She both excited him and relaxed him, and he had never felt more content to feel so confused.

As for the miko, his movement had caught her off guard, but his proximity was eagerly welcomed. It wasn't lost on Kagome that tonight would probably never be able to be repeated, at least not until after the defeat of Naraku, when at least _some _of her fantasies might actually stand a chance of coming true. So she had every intention of savoring every minute of it. Unfortunately, the sudden droopiness of her eyelids was telling her that sleep would be finding her before too much longer, no matter how badly she wanted to lie awake all night in his arms.

Replaying the events leading up to that moment over and over again in his head, Inuyasha for once decided not to argue with himself over whether or not he deserved to feel lighthearted. There had been a time not all that long ago when he had been convinced that he wasn't supposed to feel such things, but the reason for that reasoning was no longer an issue. He had felt obligated to Kikyou, to avenge her, to ensure her spirit could rest in peace, and while it was true that Naraku was still out there, Kikyou had finally been released from her false existence, and she had passed on as an ordinary woman. It was thanks solely to the woman he currently held in his arms, he knew, because Kaede had explained to him how it had been Kagome's arrow that had purified the evil taint that had been twisting Kikyou's soul. Because of the unending heart, the unending love of the miko he was currently embracing, Kikyou had been able to pass on in peace, which meant that he was now free to _live _in peace without the burden of feeling guilty for it. Slowly feeling the telltale signs of drowsiness attempting to overtake him, for once Inuyasha didn't fight it, knowing that Kagome's last words to him had been true. It was with an expression of absolute peace and contentment that sleep found our hanyou that night.

...o...o...

Morning came much too soon, as the birds singing merrily outside gave no consideration to the humans, and one hanyou, who had been up late the night before. Cracking one eye open, Inuyasha found that he was in the exact same position he had been in when he'd fallen asleep, decade upon decade of sleeping in trees having programmed his body to remain very still during slumber. What was mildly surprising, though certainly not unwelcome, was the fact that Kagome had not shifted in her sleep either. The miko usually had a tendency to roll over once or twice during the night, sometimes without even waking up, and he would like to believe that it was being held in his arms that had made the difference the night before.

As if wakefulness was somehow contagious, it was only after having regained consciousness for maybe three minutes himself that Inuyasha suddenly felt the girl in his arms start to stir, as she stretched her body in an attempt to uncurl her legs. The results of that movement had Inuyasha's eyes popping _wide _open, as Kagome's backside accidentally brushed up against something else that had alreadyawakened that morning.

_Oh shit! I'm gonna fucking get it now! _he realized in mild panic. He couldn't help his body's natural reaction to her proximity, but he'd had no intention of actually doing anything inappropriate. But would he be able to convince _her_ of that? There was no way that Kagome could have _not _noticed what she'd just brushed up against, and with the way she immediately froze in shock, the hanyou was convinced that his fate had just been sealed.

...

Awareness returned to her in gradual increments. First she heard the distant sound of birdsong, and trying to figure out why they sounded so far away, it took a moment for Kagome to remember that her bedroom window was actually shut. She had gotten into the habit of leaving it open, at least just a crack. Of course, the memory of why she'd had no need to leave her window partially open last night didn't take long at all to return, and as she became aware of the sensation of the arms wrapped tightly around her, of the warm body pressed firmly against her own from behind, Kagome found herself wanting nothing more than to simply lie there and enjoy it.

Unfortunately, her lower extremities had other ideas, as her legs quickly started protesting their stationary position. Attempting to argue with the limbs that they'd had no complaints the night before proved futile, as the miko felt her body going into a stretch almost of its own accord. Deciding there was no point in trying to fight it, she went with it instead, giving her morning stretch all that she had. Unintentionally, that moved her backside further into Inuyasha's lap, the significance of which didn't fully register in Kagome's brain until she felt her bottom brush up against something long and stiff.

She froze, which in retrospect was probably not the best reaction, as it actually prolonged her accidental contact with his…well…she really should _not _be touching that! And especially not with her butt.

Finally getting her body to obey her mind's frantic commands, Kagome jerkily pulled away before rolling over, her cheeks as red as Inuyasha's suikan.

"Umm…sorry 'bout that." she greeted lamely at the sight of his wide, surprised eyes. What a way to say good morning.

To Kagome's mild horror and moderate confusion, his eyes only grew more surprised at her apology.

"You…you're not…angry?"

She relaxed then, realizing that he had probably been terrified that she was about to flip out on him. Maybe she would've back in the beginning. No, check that, she _definitely _would've back in the beginning, but after getting to know him like she did, after falling so deeply in love with him like she was…

"No, I'm not angry." she assured him, explaining through her embarrassment, "That's a perfectly natural reaction. I'm just sorry that I accidentally…uh…"

"Th-that's okay." he attempted to assure her in return, once again mentally kicking himself over his foolish stuttering, though at least that time he had a reasonable excuse. "It's just, well…y-you and me…I mean, at least until Naraku is defeated-"

"I understand." Kagome interrupted, and he was clearly relieved at her words. "We have to wait until our mission is over, for the same reasons why Sango and Miroku have to wait. There can be no 'happily ever after' until Naraku is eliminated once and for all."

Exhaling in relief, Inuyasha was grateful beyond words that Kagome not only understood and forgave his body's embarrassing independence, but she also understood the reasoning behind why he had to deny, at least for the time being, what both he and his body so desperately wanted. Her mention of the slayer and houshi did give him an idea, though.

"After Naraku _is _defeated, though…" he started hesitantly, searching her eyes for any hint of doubt on her end, though all he could find within her chocolate depths was love and understanding. "Would you…would you stay with me? Live with me?"

He knew the question was different from when Miroku had asked the same of Sango, and not because he had neglected to add the bit about bearing his children. Inuyasha knew that unlike Sango, Kagome's family was still alive and well, and they resided five hundred years into the future from his time. That gave Kagome a dilemma the taijiya had lacked, and the hesitance he saw in her eyes in that moment spoke clearly of her inner turmoil in that regard, in having to either choose him over her family, or having to choose her family over him. The amount of love he could read in her gaze did not waver, however.

"It is my deepest wish…" she began slowly, "that I will continue to be allowed to travel between both worlds after Naraku and the jewel are gone. I would love nothing more than to spend my days in your arms, and I know that if I were ever truly forced to choose…I could never be happy without you."

_Does that mean she would choose me, or stay here and be unhappy for the rest of her life? _Inuyasha wondered silently, although he didn't press the issue.

It was clear to him that what Kagome was really saying was that she _wanted _to be with him, most definitely, and that provided nothing horrible ended up screwing them both over at the end, then she _would _be with him. Who knew what the future held, really? It was probably best if they didn't even contemplate such things. Their goal as of right that moment was to hunt down and kill Naraku, and that was where they needed to stay focused.

Speaking of which…

"All right, come on. Nothing can happen one way or another until after we kill that bastard, so let's get a move on."

Smiling, Kagome followed Inuyasha's example as he climbed out of bed, and then shooing him out of her room so that she could get changed, the miko's smile didn't disappear as soon as the door closed behind him. She knew her answer had been more vague than he would've liked, but the truth was that she honestly didn't know what she would do if she were ever faced with such a decision. Still, be that as it may, she _did _know with 100% certainty that she loved him, and that he loved her, and also that he was physically attracted to her, which was a good thing considering that she was physically attracted to him as well. Kagome also didn't imagine that things would start to become awkward between them. In fact, she had the distinct feeling that finally getting their emotions out in the open would actually improve their current relationship. He was her best friend, first and foremost, and _nothing_ would ever change that. But hopefully, if the gods were on their side, a day would come when they could finally be _more _than just friends.

...o...o...

"Ahhh, it's so good to be back." Kagome sighed as Inuyasha helped her out of the Bone Eater's Well. Even with her weaker sense of smell, the miko could still tell the difference between fresh air and smog.

"Keh."

Offering her companion a warm smile, Kagome took advantage of their brief moment alone to reach for his hand, squeezing it gently. Her smile grew noticeably bigger when he squeezed her hand in return before letting go. Kagome knew that he wasn't big on public displays of affection, and would undoubtedly feel uncomfortable if she ever tried to hold his hand in front of the others, especially considering the way Miroku would probably tease him. So the miko vowed to herself right then and there that if Inuyasha started to act a little more like his old gruff self now that they were no longer alone, she wouldn't take it personally.

"Come on," she said after a moment, hoisting her backpack a little higher on her shoulders before tightening her grip on the bow from Mt. Azusa. "Let's get the others and hit the road."

"Keh."

It didn't take long for everyone to gather their supplies and get back out on the road again once Kagome and Inuyasha announced their return to the Sengoku jidai. The early part of their travels were spent with Kagome, and occasionally Inuyasha, telling the others of the adventure they had more or less stumbled upon in her supposedly youkai-free century, omitting the part about Kagome's vision, of course. Talk of Masaru's presence in modern-day Tokyo had everyone wondering just how many youkai really still existed in Kagome's world. It did stand to reason that youkai such as tanuki – and kitsune, Shippou so helpfully pointed out – would be more able to adapt to a world in which humans had virtually taken over, but there were more species of youkai than merely tanuki and kitsune that could adopt a relatively convincing human disguise, and not all of them were so friendly. The dark hanyou they were currently hunting immediately came to mind, along with many others. Still, the miko logically pointed out that if there were too many evil youkai still around in her century with evil intentions, then the world at large would surely be aware of their existence, in general, because there would have undoubtedly been reports of youkai attacks on the news and such. Therefore, if there really were a few no good youkai still out there that preyed upon humans, then even they were keeping a low profile, disguising their acts as human crimes so as not to draw attention to themselves, and considering that the world Kagome lived in wasn't riddled with crime after crime with talks of how unsafe the streets were at night, she wasn't really all that worried about it. Besides, if Masaru's reaction to her miko powers was any indication, then any remaining youkai in her century would probably view her as a threat to their safety and something to be avoided, as opposed to a target to take greater pride in destroying.

As they traveled onward, talk gradually shifted from topic to topic, occasionally interrupted by Shippou's innocent voice asking if he could have another piece of candy, which Kagome was doing her best to regulate his intake of so as to avoid the end result of a franticly bouncing kitsune suffering from the effects of sugar-high. She had learned that lesson the hard way after the first time she'd brought back a bag of suckers. Thanks to her monitoring, Shippou's Halloween candy actually lasted for the next three days, allowing him one piece every couple of hours or so. At least she didn't have to worry about the boy developing cavities, although, considering she had also been snacking on some of the treats she'd brought back for herself and the others, the future-born miko did find herself wishing that she had thought to bring a pack of dental floss. At least she had her toothbrush, a devise her friends had thought completely alien in appearance until she'd finally managed to get them to try it for themselves. Now she carried three separate toothbrushes in her backpack, identifiable by their different colors. They were much better than the methods of teeth cleaning native to the time period. Of course, just like Shippou, Inuyasha didn't have to worry about his teeth thanks to his youkai blood, but Kagome wanted to do whatever she could for her two human friends to improve upon their health, especially considering the time period they lived in. They were grateful for her knowledge, and her assistance.

It was on the fourth day since returning from Halloween night in her time that everyone suddenly sensed a disturbing gathering of jyaki in the forest to the north.

"What is that horrible evil?" Kagome asked while rubbing her arms. "Is that Naraku?"

"It very well could be." stated Miroku, although the distance was too great for him to be certain.

"Come on, we better go check it out!" Inuyasha insisted mere seconds before swinging Kagome up and onto his back.

Fortunately, the miko was used to him just up and grabbing her like that by that point, and she quickly reacted in the appropriate manner of holding on for dear life as he took off over the trees at his top speed, Sango, Miroku and Shippou quickly appearing by their side atop Kirara. After about five minutes of racing towards the dismal patch of jyaki they could all feel coming up ahead, an unmistakable stench reached the hanyou's nose, and he forced his feet to travel even faster.

"It's Naraku's scent!" he shouted for the others to hear. Then Kagome's voice coming from above his ears announced something even more disturbing.

"Looks like Kohaku-kun is there, too. I sense a Shikon shard."

"What?" Sango shouted in surprise, Shippou voicing her confusion when he asked, "Shouldn't Kohaku be with Sesshoumaru?"

_That's right, Kohaku __should_ _be with Inuyasha's brother, _Miroku thought as well. "And even knowing that, Naraku attacked?" This was bad.

Of course, things quickly went from bad to worse when Inuyasha announced that he wasn't picking up Sesshoumaru's scent, suggesting that the daiyoukai had actually left Kohaku alone for some reason. This was _very _bad.

"Let's hurry!" Miroku shouted, knowing they didn't have any time to waste contemplating what could have possibly happened to Sesshoumaru. "At any rate, this means Naraku has come to take the last shard that Kohaku holds!" Which also meant it was their best opportunity to confront the dark hanyou, as they would finally be able to face Naraku in person rather than one of his puppets.

"Right!" Sango agreed, as she urged Kirara to fly even faster.

Hopefully, they would get there in time to save her brother from the evil hanyou's clutches.

As they raced towards their enemy, Kagome's thoughts were a jumbled mess of all the 'what ifs' that could have happened had Naraku chosen to attack Kohaku while she and Inuyasha had still been in her time. Had it been foolish after all, to allow herself the holiday? But it was over now, and apparently, their extended visit to her world had not had any detrimental effects in this one, if Naraku was only now showing himself four days after the fact. Still, Kagome definitely knew that their main focus had to remain defeating Naraku, now and forever, until the task was finally completed. But even with the mild guilt she felt for taking a selfish night off to enjoy playing dress-up in her century, Kagome was grateful to have been permitted the opportunity, especially considering that it had been the brief misunderstanding she and Inuyasha had shared as a result of what'd happened that night that had finally gotten the two of them to discuss their feelings openly. She wouldn't trade the night they had shared for the world. It had been a very happy Hallowen, indeed.

_~ Fin ~_


End file.
